Do You Come Here Often?
by LaviniaMalfoy
Summary: Hermione never imagined her life would turn out this way. A passionless marriage. A dead end job. The only bright spot in her life is her daughter Rose. Then one day she runs into Draco Malfoy and she has no idea that one simple question will change her life forever
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. I wish owned Draco Malfoy though, but alas, JK owns him too. This applies to all future chapters of the story.

 **Pairing:** Draco/Hermione

 **A/N** : This is my first ever fanfiction. I'd like to thank Little Miss Eighty-Sixed for betaing for me and chmi-kat for being my alpha. Rated M for later chapters. I have through Chapter 6 written and I am hoping to update weekly. Not entirely sure how long this will be but stick around. I promise not to abandon it! I'm very inspired by music and certain chapters are inspired by specific songs. For chapter one the song that inspired me is Sam Hunt's Take Your Time. If interested go have a listen! I hope you enjoy. Comments are appreciated!

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"Do you come here often?"

Startled, Hermione spun to stare at Draco Malfoy, who had sat on the worn bar stool next to her and gestured for Hannah Abbott, the barkeep, to bring him a drink. She composed herself and then his words set in and she snorted out a laugh.

Draco quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Pick up lines don't work on me, Malfoy," Hermione said as she took a sip of her Rum and Coke.

"I wasn't aware I used a pick up line? It was a legitimate question, Granger."

"Well, in the muggle world it's a rather overused pick up line. Hearing it come from _your_ lips and being directed at _me_ gave me a chuckle. Especially since everyone in here knows by now that I prefer to drink alone."

"Ah, so you do come here often, then?"

Hermione flushed and took a sip of her rum and coke. She set her glass down and fidgeted with the napkin, tearing off a chunk and balling it up between her thumb and index finger, rolling it around nervously. Finally she looked up at him.

"Not sure what the interest in me is all of a sudden, Malfoy" Hermione retorted, trying to deflect the question.

Thankfully at that moment Hannah sidled up to the pair of them, her gaze lingering on Draco before quickly glancing back to Hermione. "Everything all right here, Mione?"

"Yes, Hannah. Draco here just doesn't seem to know the unspoken rule that I come here alone and I plan to leave alone. Poor dear, he'll catch on eventually. At any rate, I'll take another rum if you please."

Hannah nodded and turned her attention on Draco.

"Just a pumpkin juice for me please. _Plain_ pumpkin juice."

"Coming right up," Hannah replied as she turned her back on them and set to preparing their drinks.

"I took you for a firewhisky man, Draco Malfoy. Wonders never cease."

"Oh I can be," he replied, rubbing his suddenly sweaty palms against his thighs. "But a few years ago I drank myself into a pretty deep hole. I finally pulled myself out of it and I don't plan on picking up the shovel to dig myself right back in. So I stay sober. Easier than falling off the wagon and fighting my way back on."

Hermione grew silent. Malfoy had just shared a secret about himself with her. She felt she owed him something now. Some piece of her. It felt uncomfortable, being on the receiving end of a secret, let alone one of Malfoy's most personal ones.

Hannah returned with their drinks a moment later. At the sight of her glass of rum Hermione shook her head. "I changed my mind, Hannah. I'll just stick with this instead," Hermione said as she withdrew a red metal can from her purse.

Hannah nodded and went to busy herself with a crowd that just walked in.

Draco looked at her curiously.

"What's that?" he asked, gesturing toward the can in her hand.

"This? Oh, it's a muggle soft drink. Coca Cola." She pulled the tab and Draco's eyes widened as the drink hissed at her. She took a sip and then held the can out to him.

"Want to try some?"

Hesitantly, he took the can from her and took a sip. He shoved the can back into her hands and instantly sneezed. "What in Merlin's creation is that?! Did you just slip me a Weasley product without my knowing? I don't have carrots growing out of my nose or anything do I?"

Hermione burst into laughter. "No, no, it's muggle! I promise. No magic in the drink. It's the carbonation that makes the bubbles. That's what made you sneeze. I guess it's a bit unpleasant if you're not familiar with it." Hermione handed him a napkin to wipe his face and set the can on the bar. "I tend to carry a can in my purse with a cooling charm cast on it to keep it chilled. I mix it into my rum. Since you're sober though it's only respectful for me to abstain from drinking when in your presence."

Draco regained his composure and dipped his head in thanks. "I appreciate the thought, Granger. Now, why don't you tell me exactly why you find yourself coming to drink at the pub often enough to require you to keep a muggle soft drink magically chilled in that fantastic beaded bag of yours?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I really don't think that's any of your business, Malfoy."

"Yes, but I shared a tidbit about me. I've never really told anyone about my drinking problem before, so you're in my confidence now. I feel you kind of owe me." He leaned back in his seat and took a swig of him pumpkin juice. "Not to mention I just find it curious. You have a husband at home, everyone knows that, but here we are at a wizarding pub that you all but admit you are a regular at and no one is batting an eye or questioning why you sit here night after night instead of being home with the red-headed Weasel."

Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was the fact that someone finally outright asked. All Hermione knew is that something inside of her broke down and she found herself actually answering Draco. "Ron and I don't get on much anymore. It's a marriage of convenience. We have Rose and we stay together to be a united front for her but the love that was once there has long since expired."

Draco was stunned. It didn't sound like Granger to be one to roll over and just give into to living life in a loveless marriage. Nor did she seem to be one to believe in the "staying together for the sake of the kids" act that many parents fall into. "You're a very intriguing witch, Granger." he murmured as he downed the remaining pumpkin juice. He stood, signaling Hannah to bring him the check. "Well, I should be going. Take care of yourself Granger." He paid for his pumpkin juice and also covered Hermione's drink as well. Then he pulled on his cloak and just like that he was gone.

Left with just her half empty can of cola Hermione was left to mull over the events that just happened. She had been civil with Malfoy for some time, ever since Harry and Theodore Nott began working together in the Auror department and started socializing outside of work. Before long Ginny and Daphne Greengrass- Theo's wife- were getting together and inviting Hermione to come along. Closed social circles suddenly opened and Hermione found herself in the presence of not only Theodore and Daphne Nott but also Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, and Draco Malfoy. Ron usually bowed out of the blended get togethers, choosing instead to spend time with Harry one on one in the evenings or to see him and Ginny at their Sunday morning breakfasts at the Burrow.

Hermione found that she enjoyed the company of the Slytherins and looked forward to the invitations as they came in. It's not as though it was simply a group of Gryffindors and Slytherins, either. Luna Lovegood frequently popped in and it appeared to Hermione that something might be sparking between her and Blaise. Hannah Abbott would pop in when she wasn't working at the bar and with her came Neville Longbottom. He found himself working with Justin Finch Fletchley- a Hufflepuff that she remembered from Hogwarts but never knew very well. She had a wonderful social life but it didn't shake off the loneliness that she felt down in her bones.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and caught Hannah's attention so she could pay her tab.

"Oh no, Mione. Malfoy covered your drinks for the night," Hannah said, pushing Hermione's money back into her palm. "He left quite a large tip, too. Wonder what brought him to this little hole in the wall place. I've never noticed him in here before. He sure enjoyed your company though, Hermione." Hannah waggled her eyebrows and smirked.

"It was just a conversation, Hannah, don't be silly. He didn't need to pay for my drinks. I don't like feeling as though I owe him something."

"You know, Hermione, you don't need to be stuck where you are. No one would fault you for wanting happiness."

"Whatever do you mean, Hannah? I'm perfectly content with my life." Hermione sniffed and turned to leave. "No offense Hannah but I didn't ask for your opinion. Kindly keep it to yourself next time."

Hermione left the pub before she had a chance to feel guilty for snapping at her friend. Truth be told she was more angry with herself than Hannah. She worked so hard to put on the mask of contentment and it was jarring to hear someone so bluntly tell her that they saw through it. Pushing the evenings events from her mind Hermione spent the remaining walk to the apparition point considering what she would make for dinner when she arrived home. Maybe there would be a letter from Rose. Yes, best to focus on getting back to routine.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : _Still don't own Harry Potter. Special thanks to Chmi-Kat for being the most amazing alpha on this story and helping me make sense of all the ideas in my head. You get all the cookies (and pizza)! Lyrical inspiration for this chapter is It's For the Best by Straylight Run particularly the line "And I become content with this life that I lead, where I drink too much and don't believe in much of anything and I lie to myself and say it's for the best." Definitely suits Hermione's mindset. Without further adieu I leave you with Chapter Two. Enjoy! Comments are much appreciated!_

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With a crack, Hermione arrived at the cottage she shared with Ron in Godric's Hollow. Harry had decided to take up residence in the fateful village not long after Ginny fell pregnant with James. He had mentioned there was a cottage a few streets down that would be perfect for Ron and herself, if she felt like a change. So the Golden Trio now resided in the town that started it all. They had come full circle, it seemed, and living in Godric's Hollow just felt _right_.

She loved her quaint little cottage. Situated on the very edge of the town, there was a beautiful flower garden out front that had been there for years. Apparently, a previous owner had been a talented herbologist and had planted a lush garden of lavender, tulips, roses, asphodel, valerian, and countless other varieties of flowers, both Muggle and magic. With no effort on Hermione's part, the garden stayed perfectly maintained in a whimsical, wild way.

Unlocking the door and stepping into the foyer, she took in the staleness of the air. It seemed that the house had been empty since she left a few hours ago. She suspected there would be a note from Ron in with the rest of the post, explaining his whereabouts. Hermione tried to will herself to care, but truthfully she was thankful to not have to make small talk with her husband while her head was still cloudy from her encounter with Malfoy.

She slipped off her trainers and hung her coat on the hooks behind the door and walked into the living room, which opened into the kitchen with a breakfast bar acting as a divider. She strode over to the window to check the post basket she had hung there to catch the mail when no one was home to receive it. Tucking it under her arm, she settled on the plush white couch and perused the day's mail. There was the usual- Daily Prophet, The Quibbler, Young Witches Digest for Rosie. She set aside her statement from Gringotts to sort out later when she was paying the bills and focused on the shockingling pink envelope that had all the signs of being from her young daughter. She tore into the envelope and found a short letter as well as a few pictures. She set the pictures off to the side and scanned through the letter.

 _Mum and Dad,_

 _You'll never believe the club that I joined! Quidditch! Cordelia Downing, the keeper for my year broke her arm somehow when she was home visiting last week so they held tryouts. I didn't mention anything before so I didn't jinx my luck. Aunt Ginny will be so proud! Don't tell her, please! I want to surprise her when I come home this weekend. I included a few pictures. Can't wait to see you on Friday! Dad, can you invite Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny for dinner? Mum, can you make that beef stew that I love so much? Thanks!_

 _Love,_

 _Rose_

Hermione smiled to herself and set the letter aside to show Ron later. She picked up the photos and saw one of Rosie zooming by on a broomstick, waving at the person taking the picture with a huge smile on her face. The second photo was what appeared to be a team photo, but a relaxed one. The players were all in their uniforms and had their arms slung around each other's shoulders. Rose beamed brightly from the back row; she had inherited her father's height and was quite a bit taller than her classmates.

Ron would be thrilled that Rose was showing an interest in Quidditch, and Hermione couldn't wait to see the look on Ginny's face when she found out. Ginny had played for the Holyhead Harpies until she became pregnant with Albus. Deciding it was going to too much work juggling the team and two children, she retired and now worked part time at the Daily Prophet as a sports reporter. Hermione didn't know who would be more excited about Rose's news- Ron or Ginny. The weekend was sure to be an exciting one and Hermione couldn't wait to see her daughter.

The choice to send Rose to a boarding school was not an easy one. It was Rose's idea: she had come across an article in Young Witches Digest about the benefits of boarding schools for students who were not yet of Hogwarts age. She approached her father and Hermione about it the summer she turned 8 and begged for them to allow her to attend. It was a hard battle to win with Ron, but finally they had agreed that she could do weekly boarding but she had to promise to come home every weekend. Rosie loved her school and Hermione was happy that her daughter wasn't there to sense the tension that was building in the house between her parents.

Hermione shuffled through a few more bills before finding a small scrap of paper with her husband's familiar handwriting scrawled on it.

 _Hermione,_

 _Going out with Blaise for drinks after work, then meeting up with Harry to play Wizard's Chess. Don't wait up._

 _Ron_

 _Well, that settles that, then,_ she thought as she set the mail on the end table by the couch and walked into the kitchen. Hermione quickly threw together a stir-fry and ate dinner in silence. She really should invest in a Muggle television to pass the time for when her mind was too busy to focus on a book. She muttered the spell to clean her dishes and put them back in the cabinet. She picked up the Quibbler and settled onto the couch with the magazine, though she didn't open it. With nothing to distract her, she felt her mind wander to the meeting with Malfoy that evening and what it meant. It's not like they were total strangers.

She can still remember the shock she felt the first time Malfoy showed up at the twice-monthly dinner parties that Ginny hosted. It had been two Autumns ago and she had offered the help Ginny cook dinner for the party. They had a Muggle radio, that Arthur had fixed to be able to work in close proximity to magic, blaring and they were dancing around the kitchen, singing off key and laughing. It was during such a laughing fit over Ginny's ridiculous dance moves that the alarm went off, signaling the arrival of someone through the wards. Ginny had her hands full, juggling the pizzas Hermione had picked up from Muggle London before arriving and was bringing them into the dining room, so Hermione offered to grab the door. Still laughing at Ginny, who was determined to shake her hips and carry food at the same time, Hermione walked to the door and wrenched it open. There stood Blaise Zabini, famously neutral Slytherin and Ron's partner at the Auror Department. Hermione had been expecting him: the Slytherins were always the first show up at these parties. She chalked it up to the proper pureblood upbringing that made them respect punctuality as a virtue. Her smile froze and then faded as she noticed a familiar blonde head appear from behind Blaise. She took a deep breath to calm herself and gripped the door to keep steady as she moved aside to let them enter.

"Hello, Hermione." Blaise nodded in greeting, "You look spectacularly joyous this evening," he complimented her before following her gaze to his companion, who had now entered the house and was standing patiently next to Blaise, a carefully blank expression on his face.

"Yes Granger, this is Malfoy. You've met, I'm sure," Blaise said sarcastically, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck while eyeing the two cautiously. Noticing that she didn't seem to hear him, as she was still intently staring at Malfoy, Blaise tried again. "Ahem, Earth to Granger. Anyone home in that bushy head of yours?" He reached over and gently shook her shoulder.

Hermione jumped and quickly composed herself. "Yes, hi Blaise, good to see you," she bent in to kiss his cheek in greeting. "I wasn't aware you were bringing a guest tonight. Caught me off guard a bit."

She turned to face Malfoy, who was stilling standing patiently in the doorway, looking quite impassive to the situation. She caught a gleam of something -amusement?- in his eyes as she nodded her head in his direction. "Malfoy."

He nodded back. "Granger"

"That's Granger-Weasley, thank you very much," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Now come on, come in so I can shut the door. Blaise, you know where to put your cloaks and shoes. Make yourselves comfortable." And with that she turned on her heel and rushed back to the kitchen.

Ginny, noticing the expression on her face narrowed her eyes and asked "Everything ok, Mione? Who was at the door."

"Blaise."

"Oooookay, that doesn't explain the deer-in-the-headlights look on your face."

"With Malfoy."

Ginny's eyes widened. "Oh. Yes. Didn't I mention that I had kind of told Daphne to tell Blaise that Malfoy was welcome to attend?"

"No, Ginny, you most certainly did not mention that to me," Hermione seethed. "I was left standing there gaping like an idiot. And he just stood there with no expression on his face. WHY did you invite him?!"

"Well, I met up with Theo and Daphne last week and Daphne asked if I would consider inviting Malfoy. She said she feels bad because he's the only one out of her group of friends who has never been invited and she knows that we all have a rough history with him but she promised me that he has changed." Ginny shrugged and handed Hermione a pitcher of lemonade to carry into the dining room. "So I told her it was fine if she spread the word that he was more than welcome to come."

"Well you better have some alcohol on hand because I am not facing Malfoy sober." Hermione looked at her sister-in-law mortified. "Does RON know you invited Malfoy?"

Hermione saw the color drain from Ginny's face. "Oh.. oh my. Hold on, I need to floo call Harry and have him warn Ron. I _really_ don't want to have to clean blood stains out of my carpet tonight."

Hermione braced herself and carried the lemonade to the dining room. The two Slytherin men were seated at the dining room table, Blaise was leaning towards Malfoy and talking softly.

"Some lemonade. Help yourselves." She gestured to the lemonade and the glasses she accio'd onto the table. She then turned to Blaise. "You're early, as usual. Are Theo and Daphne planning to make an appearance?"

"Yeah, any minute now actually. Pansy decided to pass, though. Maybe next time." Blaise stood and poured himself a glass of lemonade and then gestured to Malfoy. "Want some, mate?" Malfoy shook his head and turned his attention to his hands, quiet and stoic as ever. Blaise sat down and took a sip of his drink before turning back to Hermione. "So… do you know who else is on the guest list tonight?"

Hermione smiled knowingly. "Well, there's Neville and Hannah. Dean and Seamus. Terry Boot mentioned to me that he might stop in for a bit."

Blaise's face fell a bit. "Oh, smaller crowd that usual then."

"Oh, gee. I almost forgot! Of course, Luna will be here as well."

Blaise instantly brightened and then tried to cover it up. "Oh good! I mean, that's good that she could find the time, what with her traveling so much for work and such…" he trailed off, looking a bit embarrassed as he took another big sip of his drink.

"Yes, yes it is nice to see her." Hermione affirmed.

"And your husband? Will the Weasel be gracing us with his presence at this shindig?"

Hermione stiffened and turned her attention to Malfoy, who had his hands folded in front of him and was looking at her expectantly. She straightened her spine and turned to face him head on. "Yes, he'll be here. And you'd best be on your best behavior, Malfoy. Ron's temper hasn't improved much since Hogwarts and I will not be held responsible for his actions."

At that moment Ginny walked into the dining room, two cauldrons levitating in front of her that Hermione knew were filled with butterbeer. With a wave of her wand they flew to the center of the table, one on each side of the pizza boxes Ginny had brought in while Hermione was answering the door. Ginny's eyes widened at the sight of Hermione and Malfoy conversing. The ginger witch accio'd some napkins to the table and then turned and rushed out of the room, avoiding Hermione's gaze. _"Chicken,"_ Hermione thought to herself, watching her friend retreat back to the kitchen. With nothing else to distract her, Hermione sighed and turned her attention back to the blonde man sitting across from her at the table.

Malfoy held his hands up and looked offended. "Hey, I'm sitting here in Saint Potter's house, willingly socializing with Gryffindors. I'm not about to start problems. I'm just glad not to be drinking alone at home." He eyed her intently, gauging her reaction to his words. Blaise coughed and stood abruptly. "I'm just going to go check on Ginny, see if she needs help bringing anything else in from the kitchen. Play nice you two," he said, his voice teasing yet firm at the same time. He passed Hermione and squeezed her shoulder, shot a look at Malfoy and then strode from the room. Malfoy was still staring at her, his expression unreadable. Hermione sighed and pulled out a chair. As if by instinct, Draco rose from his chair and stood until she had sat down. When he saw her watching him, his cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink and he shrugged, brushing a hair from his eyes. "Old habits, and all. I was raised to stand when a lady is joining the table. As a sign of respect."

Hermione almost laughed out loud. Respect? Malfoy? To her? Not likely.

"So, Granger-"

She cleared her throat. "Granger-Weasley."

"Yeah… I'm just going to call you Granger." She narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. Malfoy continued, "Can we call a truce? I'm sure we can both agree I was an arse in school. More than an arse. I was despicable. But I'm working on it. Being here in this house should prove that to you. I don't want there to be any animosity between us."

Caught off guard, Hermione coughed before composing herself. "Despicable doesn't even cover it, Malfoy. You did unspeakable things. Witnessed unspeakable things." She shivered at the memory. Then, she sighed. "But, you were a child. We were all children. And while I don't agree with your side of the war, nor do I condone your actions whatsoever, I can agree to _try_ to start over."

He visibly exhaled and Hermione realized he had been holding his breath. She stood to pour them both a lemonade, sliding his across the table to him, before raising her glass in a salute. "Just a warning though. One wrong move and I will not even hesitate to hex your bollocks off."

He met her gaze with his stormy grey eyes and raised his glass in the same fashion. "Understood" is all he said before sipping on his drink.

Not long after, Daphne and Theo arrived, followed shortly after by Ron and Harry. Harry surprised everyone by striding over to Malfoy and shaking his hand, welcoming him to his home. Ron, who had learned of Malfoy's presence at the fathering on his way over that evening, just stood at the table, staring Malfoy down. Unflinchingly, Malfoy stared right back but didn't say a word. Hermione stood and put a gentle hand on Ron's shoulder, distracting him from Malfoy by asking him about his day at work. He began telling her about the case he had started working on that day, and didn't even look at or acknowledge Malfoy at all for the rest of the night.

Over the course of that first dinner party, Hermione noticed a few things about Malfoy. One, his manners were impeccable. He stood every time one of the women sat at or left the table, nodding his head and ignoring the snickers from the Gryffindor men.

Two, he was exceedingly patient. After Luna arrived, Blaise had managed to leave a seat open between himself and Malfoy and, playing the role of the Slytherin gentleman, he had escorted Luna to that exact seat. Draco listened patiently and with appropriate interest as Luna told about her travels and the different creatures she was researching.

It was while Hermione was eavesdropping on their conversation that she heard Luna mention that Draco's aura was a delightful shade of dark blue, compared to the dingy grey it had been all throughout school. Draco asked what the colors meant and Luna launched into a detailed description. How the grey had represented depression and exhaustion, whereas the blue represented being a born survivor, though often it could indicate the person was quite moody and could be described as a control freak as well.

Draco nodded his agreement with that observation, and his eyes met Hermione's. He held her gaze as he murmured to Luna. "Well, we all know I can be a moody little ferret, don't we."

Hermione stifled a laugh as Luna just hummed and turned the topic to wrackspurts and a new repellant she was working on for them. Draco smiled a bit and Hermione averted her gaze, but felt her cheeks grow warm. She quickly struck up a conversation with Daphne and paid Draco little attention for the remainder of the evening. After that first evening, Malfoy was a regular fixture at the dinner parties. And with the arrival of Malfoy came the disappearance of Ron. More and more often, he was choosing to stay home for the parties, coming up with a whole host of reasons.

Though they hadn't had another one-on-one conversation since their truce at the first party, Hermione had learned that she could always count on Malfoy to meet her eye when someone said something she found amusing. More than once, she had to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh as she saw the amusement in his eyes. And when the topic turned difficult, as it was wont to do, especially at the parties held close to May the 2nd, she found herself seeking his steady grey eyes. Somehow they would calm her, even when she felt close to tears, as discussion turned to Mad Eye or Fred or little Colin Creevey.

When looking back over the course of their social interactions, Hermione could see why it had been so easy to open up to Malfoy at the pub. She had been instinctively relying on him for some time now. _Moving from a reassuring glance across a table to sharing secrets at a bar wasn't a huge stretch_ , Hermione thought to herself.

Though she never would have imagined Malfoy to be the one she spoke to about her marital problems, she had to reason that of course she would choose someone as far removed from the situation as possible. It was like her mother had always told her growing up. _"When seeking advice on a difficult situation go to the person most removed from the situation. You're more likely to receive honest advice when the person doesn't care about the outcome either way."_ she can hear her mother's voice reverberate through her mind.

 _That's all I'm doing_ , Hermione thought to herself. Malfoy wasn't invested in her personal life in the least. Not like Ginny or Harry or even Luna, who all have ties to both Hermione and Ron. Malfoy was a neutral party and therefore prone to brutal honesty, which is exactly what Hermione needed.

Hermione shook herself out of her reverie as she heard the door knob turning and looked up from the couch to see her husband walking in the front door.

"Oh, you're home." He paused, moving to hang his coat and remove his shoes, setting them on the Muggle shoe rack Hermione had insisted they use to keep from forming a tripping hazard.. He then headed for the stairs, pausing at the bottom and turning his attention to her. "I'm wiped. I'm going to hit the shower and go to bed. See you up there, yeah?"

Hermione nodded and watched him retreat upwards, feeling her heart sink a bit. What happened to getting a kiss hello, discussing their days, and talking until late into the night? She was constantly warring against herself. Part of her just didn't care anymore, while the other part longed for the passion to ignite in her marriage once again.

"Oh, to hell with it," Hermione muttered, rising from the couch and heading for the stairs, ascending them quickly before she could lose her nerve. She heard the water turn on and the sound of water on flesh as Ron stepped under the stream. She quickly stripped out of her clothing and slipped silently into the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, before she could talk herself out this rare act of intimacy, she slid the shower curtain aside. Ron jumped and turned to face her. "Gods, Hermione, what on Earth are you doing? You nearly scared me to death."

Stepping into the shower, she looked up into his face, which looked more put out over her intrusion that she would have liked, and opened her mouth to speak. "I just wanted to give you some company," she murmured, reaching out and putting both hands on his waist, pulling him into her. Or she tried to.

Ron stood resolutely in one spot, not even looking turned on in the slightest. He took her wrists and removed them from his hips before turning his back on her to face the spray of water. He stuck his head under, saturating his hair. Wiping a hand down his face to get the water out of his eyes, he sighed. "Not tonight, Hermione. I'm tired. I just want to shower and crash." Hermione felt her heart sink even further.

Not one to give up without a little bit of a fight, she reached around his waist and felt her fingers brush against his length. She opened her hand and gently stroked him, willing him to respond to her touch. She rested her forehead on his back and tugged on his cock. He didn't stop her, but he also didn't do anything to encourage her either. She kissed up and down his spine, still stroking his cock but not getting any reaction. She loosened her grip as he turned to face her.

He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead and reached around her for the shampoo. Lathering it in his hair and on his body, he methodically finished his shower before kissing her once more on the forehead and moving to get out of the shower. She reached out and grabbed his bicep, stopping him, before leaning up and kissing him on the lips.

He returned it, albeit chastely, and then smiled at her and stepped out, leaving her standing under the stream of lukewarm water, wondering what the hell had happened between them that his body didn't even respond to her touch anymore. When she heard his footsteps lead into their bedroom, she allowed herself to sit on the floor of the shower and cry.

The rest of the week passed by uneventfully. Hermione took off work on Friday so she could do some shopping to prepare for dinner with Rose that night. She apparated to Diagon Alley and headed down the cobblestoned street towards the wizarding bank, Gringotts, to pay for the month's bills before withdrawing extra gold so she could surprise Rose with a gift to congratulate her for her new role on the Quidditch team. Fortunately it wasn't a busy day, so she was in and out of the bank in no time. She then headed to Quality Quidditch Supplies, where she asked the salesman to assist her in purchasing a broom and gloves for Rose. She explained that Rose was tall and slender and a keeper for the team. After listening intently, the salesman showed Hermione a beautiful cherry wood broom that rivaled the Firebolt in beauty.

"This here's a Galaxy Glider. Perfect for the budding Quidditch star. It's built by the same company that makes the Firebolt and the safety standards are to the highest degree. There's a sticking charm to prevent falls, you can limit the height the broom can fly, the speed the broom can go, and there is an emergency cushioning charm that activates if it senses a sudden quick drop."

Hermione ran her fingers along the sleek body of the broom. "Perfect. I'll take it. Can you please wrap it for me? It's a gift. Also, I would like to purchase a pair of standard gloves for her, as well. I'm not sure if there are uniform restrictions so let's go with plain black gloves, please."

The salesman nodded and walked over the apparel section. Hermione followed behind him and they stopped when they reached the glove display. He showed her a few different options and she chose a simple leather pair that was water-resistant with high quality slip-proof grips. The salesman wrapped the gloves as well and Hermione paid for her purchases and thanked the salesman for his assistance. She put both packages in her beaded bag and then shuffled down Diagon Alley, past Gringotts and towards the more "grown up" shops. Here Hermione planned to visit Chadwick & Sons Grocers to purchase the ingredients for the beef stew that Rose had requested. After placing a cooling charm on the ingredients and placing them in her beaded bag she then decided to peruse the small, second-hand shops to pass the time. She found a beautiful scarf, a Holyhead Harpies sweatshirt, and a battered copy of Hogwarts: A History with notes scrawled in the margins that she couldn't wait to add to her ever growing collection of her favorite tome.

Feeling thoroughly relaxed and refreshed, she stopped in to Allura's Coifs and Cuts to have her hair trimmed and charmed into soft curls. She checked the time and decided to head home to begin preparations on the dinner for Rose, feeling more optimistic than she had in quite some time.

Ron was still at work when she arrived home. She went into the kitchen to prep the vegetables for the stew. With about an hour before she could start cooking,she skimmed through the Quibbler. Luna's subject this week was the Bumblesnout. From what she gathered, it was a creature that resembled an anteater and it could find water underground. Definitely more believable than nargles. Finally, at quarter to four, it was time to get the stew going. Throwing the ingredients into a pot, she got it simmering as she changed into a pair of form fitting jeans and a mint green sweater that hugged the curves she had worked hard to get back after Rose. She applied a sparse amount of makeup, just mascara and a lightly-tinted rose colored lip gloss. Ron came through the door as she was stirring the stew.

"Yum, smells amazing, Mione." He complimented her as he hung his jacket and walked into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Ron. Rose should be arriving by portkey in about half an hour. Harry and Ginny should be here any minute." She held the spoon out for him to taste the stew. "Can you set the table, please? And I bought a few things for Rose to congratulate her on making the team, they're in on the bed. Bring them down and set them in the corner of the dining room, please?"

"The stew is wonderful, as always." He said as he reached into the cabinets for the plates. He waved his wand and the plates flew to the table where they landed gently. Cutlery and glasses followed. "Accio Rose's gifts," he summoned the gifts from the bedroom and placed them in the corner. Then he picked up the Daily Prophet and settled onto the armchair in the living room.

"Honestly, Ronald, I know you're a wizard but would it kill you to simply carry the dishes to the table and walk into the bedroom to bring the gifts out?"

He looked over at her from his place in the living room. "Mione, don't start. I was on my feet all day today. I did what you asked. Just say thank you and move on."

She rolled her eyes. "All right, well. The stew is finished, I placed a warming charm on the pot to keep it from getting cold. Now we wait for Rosie to arrive home."

"Still didn't hear a thank you," Ron teased.

She clenched her jaw as she fought of the urge to retort something back at him. Just then the door opened and in walked Harry and Ginny with Albus toddling beside them.

"Hello, hello!" Ginny said as she wrangled Albus still so she could remove his jacket and shoes. "Just us three tonight. James wanted to go see Teddy so he flooed over to Andromeda's. Hope Rose won't be too upset to miss him." She hugged Hermione and sniffed the air. "Smells exquisite, Mione. Your famous beef stew?"

Hermione smiled at her sister in law. "Yes, Rose specifically requested it for dinner tonight. She should be arriving here any moment."

"Has she gotten used to traveling by portkey now?" Harry inquired, remembering how Hermione had told him and Ginny about Rose's first portkey experience and how it had ended with Rose swearing to never use another portkey for the rest of her life.

Hermione laughed. "Well she realized it was either portkey or wait in line at the floo for a good deal of time. Her impatience got the best of her and now she portkeys like a pro."

They heard the familiar whoosh that signaled the arrival of someone. The door opened and Hermione squealed and raced to the front door, throwing her arms around a tall, slender redhead girl with curls flying around her head.

Rose was home.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Still don't own Harry Potter. Still wish I owned Draco Malfoy. This chapter was so fun to write. Again HUGE kudos to Chmi-Kat for being an amazing alpha. Enjoy the chapter. Comments are much appreciated!**

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Rose let out a soft 'oof' as Hermione launched herself into her daughter's arms. "All right, Mum, calm down you just saw me last week!" Rose laughed and hugged her mother before stepping back and shrugging off her jacket.

"So when are you going to tell Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny your news?" Hermione whispered as she took the jacket from her daughter's arms and hung it beside the others, "You can't take too long. You know your father and keeping secrets." Rose rolled her eyes and nodded, chuckling to herself.

"I plan to tell them right away. Thanks for keeping it a secret, Mum."

Rose walked into the dining room and greeted her father, then turned to the others, "Aunt Ginny, Uncle Harry I have some exciting news to share!" She pulled them each into a hug before squealing, "I made keeper of the Quidditch team!"

"What?!" Giny squealed. "I had no idea you had even tried out! Isn't it late in the year to start Quidditch? Come now, tell me everything!"

So Rose told Harry and Ginny about Cordelia Downing's broken arm and how she decided to try out without telling anyone so as not jinx herself. Ginny applauded Rose and hugged her, promising to practice with her after dinner. Harry agreed to join in as well.

Hermione decided it would be the perfect time to give Rose her gifts she had purchased that morning. She walked to the corner of the dining room and picked them up, then turned excitedly to her daughter and presented them to her. "Here, my sweet Rose. A present, to reward you for your exciting news."

"Oh, Mum, you didn't have to get me anything!" Rose exclaimed as she tore into the packages, choosing to open the large one first. Her eyes flew to her mother in shock. "Mum, a broom?! I can't believe it! Thank you, Mum! Thank you so much!" Rose flew out of her chair and hugged her mother tightly.

"It's a Galaxy Glider. The man at Quality Quidditch Supplies told me it's made by the Firebolt company and it has a lot of really advanced features. I can't wait to see you fly it."

Harry whistled and said, "Wow, Hermione. I'm impressed. And slightly jealous."

Hermione shoved Harry playfully. "Hands off Harry, you have your own broom."

Just then, Albus toddled in from Rose's room. "Rosie, Rosie! You got new broom! Broom pretty! I ride?"

Rose crouched down and picked up the boy, hugging him close. "Hi, Al. I missed you. Where is that big brother of yours?"

"James is at Andromeda's visiting Teddy," Ginny said, reaching out and taking Albus from Rose, "He sure is going to be disappointed he missed this news.".

Hermione smiled to herself as she surveyed her dining room. It was then that she realized Ron was still sitting in his seat, glaring at her. She met his eyes quizzically and he looked away and directed his attention to their daughter.

"Congratulations Rosie. I can give you some pointers. You know, I was keeper for the Gryffindor team at Hogwarts." He chuckled but the laughter didn't meet his eyes. Something was definitely bothering him.

"Of course, Dad you _have_ to show me all your moves! Maybe they'll make up a song about me if I get good enough!"

Everyone chuckled as they remembered the students singing 'Weasley is Our King' at the quidditch matches when they were in school.

Hermione walked to the stove and stirred the stew. "All right, everyone, stew's done! Rose, take Albus and go wash up please." She summoned the bowls one by one and filled them with the beef stew. She then levitated some bread and butter onto the table followed by the now full bowls. She placed a pitcher of water and one of pumpkin juice on the table and saw down with everyone. Rose and Albus came out of the bathroom and joined everyone at the table and they tucked in to dinner.

"Mum, this is fantastic. Thanks for making it for me," Rose said between bites.

Ginny reached across Hermione for a slice of bread. "Yes, Mione it's absolutely amazing. Can you share the recipe with me?"

"Sure, Gin, I'll write it down as soon as we finish," Hermione replied as she refilled her glass of pumpkin juice. "And of course, Rosie, this dinner is a celebration for you. I would have made steak and seafood if you had asked."

Harry and Ron began reminiscing about the old days at Hogwarts, remembering when Harry tried to trick Ron into thinking he has slipped some Liquid Luck into his drink before a big quidditch match. Ginny and Rose joined in as Hermione sat back and observed her family. Other than the odd glare from Ron earlier, everything was going well. She finished the last of her stew and cleaned her bowl before getting up from the table and putting it back in the cabinet. She turned around just in time to see Albus, who had just been scolded for sneaking a second piece of bread without asking, uncontrollably levitating his bowl over his head.

"Watch out!" Hermione exclaimed, but it was too late. Stew poured all over Albus's head. Thankfully it wasn't hot enough to burn him, but the mess was rather large.

Ginny jumped up from the table. "Oh I'm so sorry, Mione! He's been so temperamental lately, what with his age, plus he is teething right now. His accidental magic is going a bit haywire and he didn't appreciate being told he couldn't have more bread until he finished his stew." She conjured a towel and started wiping off his face and hands. "I'm sorry Rosie, but looks like we need to get Albus home for a bath and an early bedtime. I really wanted to play a few matches with you tonight."

"I understand, Aunt Ginny. Do you think I could just go home with you? That way, after he is in bed, we can still go out back and fly for a bit? That is," she said, turning to face her mother, "if it's ok with you, Mum?"

Hermione waved her wand to clean the stew from the floor and the table and nodded. "Of course, Rose dear. I want you to get some practice in on your new broom before you go back to school. Not a problem at all."

"Thanks Mum, I'll go pack an overnight bag." And with that Rose was up from the table and heading up the stairs to her room.

"Gin, you get Albus home and start getting him cleaned up, I'll stay and wait for Rose," Harry offered, wiping a splash of stew from his sleeve.

Ginny smiled appreciatively at her husband. "Thanks, Harry." She leaned down and planted a kiss on his head before picking up Albus and heading for the door.

"Bye Ginny, thanks for coming," Ron said waving at his sister. "I may be along later to watch Rose fly her broom.

"Goodbye my dear brother, I'll see you soon." She blew a kiss at Hermione. "Thanks for dinner, Mione. Sorry it had to end this way. Kids know how to keep things lively, that's for sure."

Hermione waved at her sister-in-law as she walked out the door with her messy toddler in tow.

Rose came racing down the stairs a few moments later, bag slung on her should, broom under her arm, ready to go. "Love you, Mum. Love you, Dad. See you tomorrow. Come on, Uncle Harry. I don't want to lose the bit of light we have left." Harry shrugged, waved at Ron and Hermione and followed Rose out the door.

The silence of the cottage was staggering. _Damn it to hell_ , Hermione thought to herself as she turned to face Ron. "Care to explain the reason you have been shooting daggers at me with your eyes since before dinner?" she spat scathingly, not even bothering to hide the annoyance and anger in her voice.

"Oh, caught that did you?" Ron spit out, glaring daggers at Hermione. "I'm surprised you can't figure it out." Ron spit out, glaring daggers at Hermione.

"Please, enlighten me, dear husband." She crossed her arms and glared right back at him.

Ron threw his hands in the air out of frustration. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe I would have liked to buy our daughter's first broom? Or even get a say in it?"

Hermione laughed incredulously. "That's what this is about? The fact that I bought a broomstick without you? You were working, Ronald. I just bought the thing today and it seems I did a fine job picking it out."

"A stranger helped you choose her broom, Hermione. Did you forget that I played quidditch at Hogwarts? Did it even occur to you to ask me to help you pick it out? Or ask for recommendations? You don't even like quidditch and yet you took it upon yourself to have a stranger assist you instead of asking me to come to Diagon with you so we could pick it out together."

Hermione felt her patience wearing thin. She took three calming breaths. "Again, you were working."

"Damn right, I was working Hermione. Sorry I can't just request days off the way you can. You request a day off and no big deal, some papers take longer to get sorted. I take a day off and it could be the difference between a criminal being sent to Azkaban or getting away." He slammed his fist on the table and glared at her.

"Ron, we received the letter from Rose on Tuesday! If you wanted to come with me to buy her present you could have asked all week. You chose not to." Hermione's anger was bubbling close to the surface. She shot to her feet and began pacing the room. She really didn't want to start screaming at him, so she was trying to keep her anger in check, but Ron had always known just the right buttons to push.

"Well when you said you wanted to give her something to congratulate her, I thought you meant a cake, not a damn broom!" Ron shouted, his face nearly matching his hair.

Hermione rubbed her temples and took a deep breath in another attempt to calm herself. "You could have asked what I had in mind. This isn't just on me. Yes, I should have known you would want to help buy her own broom. But you knew I wanted to buy her a present. Not one time did you show any interest. Now you realize it's something you should have asked about, and you take all your anger out on me. I will not allow you to make me feel guilty for buying a present for my child."

Ron stood from the table and walked towards the door.

"Where on Earth are you going?!"

"To Harry's," he spat,"I may not have had a say in her broom but I sure as hell will not miss my chance to teach her to fly." And with that he walked out of the cottage without turning back.

Hermione stood rooted to her spot in the kitchen. It had never occurred to her that Ron would care that she bought Rose a broom. And the snide comment he made about her job made her want to lash out and strike him. She may not be an auror, but she worked hard at her job. Something that Ron had never needed to do.

She had refused to use her role in the war to advance her career. It had seemed an insult to the lives lost to use such a tragedy for personal gain. She had instead studied hard and applied for a position just like any "normal" witch would have to do. The more time she spent in her position, though, the more she doubted her commitment to her job. It just didn't feel right to her. More often than not, she daydreamed about giving her resignation and abandoning the Ministry for another job, though she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that she wanted to do.

Still thinking about her fight with Ron, Hermione set about making tea. She set aside her usual black and chose a spiced apple chai tea she had found at a little tea shoppe in Hogsmeade. She was furious with him for blowing up over her buying a present for Rose. But the more she thought about it, the more she could see his side.

Stirring her tea, she shook her head. It was a stupid argument, really. Ron had a lot of faults, but he always took care of Rose, and he loved her fiercely. Hermione took a sip of her tea and absently walked into the living room, her eyes finding the marks in the entry way that she had insisted on making to track Rose's height. It was something her parent's had done in her childhood home and she wouldn't let Ron talk her out of carrying on the tradition with her own daughters. Fingers brushing the lines and numbers written in pencil on the wall, Hermione remembered the day she found out she was pregnant with Rose.

She and Ron had only been married for two months when suddenly Hermione felt exhausted all the time. She was convinced she was coming down with the flu. She had just started working at the Ministry and attributed it to being exposed to a whole host of new germs in the office. She drank tea, allowing herself a day or two of relaxation before she became suspicious of the timing of this bout of fatigue. She knew it was silly, as she headed into Muggle London that day, but some things she just preferred to do "the old-fashioned way". She left the shop, bag in hand, and apparated home as soon as she found a secluded alley.

Thankfully, Ron was still at work when she came through the door of their newly-purchased cottage. It was sparsely furnished at this point, mainly with hand-me-downs from Molly and a few things given to her by her parents. She took the stairs two at a time, racing up the stairs and making the sharp left that lead to the bathroom. Her fingers were fumbling with the small box as she ripped it open and slid out the stick that would define her future.

Five minutes later she held the same stick, this time sporting two pink lines.

A million thoughts ran through her head. She was only 19. She had just started working at the Ministry. _How_ was she going to tell Ron? But one thought snuck through the rest and centered on her mind.

Her hand fell to her still flat stomach as she let herself give in to the emotions she was feeling as she repeated over and over in her head, _I'm going to be a mom. I'm going to be a mom._

From that moment, her life was centered on being the best mom she could be. And she really was, if she did think so herself. Ron, on the other hand, was more hands off. He defended himself by saying he was more "traditional."

When Rose was a toddler, Hermione had bought a book full of all the classic Muggle fairytales. She was reading Cinderella to a captivated Rose when Ron entered the young girl's room and stopped dead.

"Hermione, can I speak to you in the hall for a second?"

Hermione shot him a quizzical look over her shoulder before holding up a finger to indicate for him to wait until she was finished reading.

Ron stood there, in the doorway of his daughter's room, tapping his foot impatiently as Hermione finished the story. She leaned down and kissed Rose on the forehead before tucking her in nice and tight. She went into the hallway to wait as Ron hugged and kissed Rose as well. When he exited the room, he motioned for her to follow him. She did, with a curious look on her face.

Ron sat on the couch and in a surprisingly cold voice asked, "Was that a _Muggle_ fairytale you were just reading to our daughter?"

Hermione looked at him incredulously. "Yes, it was. Is that an issue?"

"Didn't my mum give you a copy of The Tales of Beedle The Bard when Rose was born?"

Hermione studied her husband's face, surprised to see true irritation in his blue eyes. "Yes, she did, Ron. But I read those to Rose ages ago. I don't know any other other magical fairytales, so I bought her a book of the ones I grew up on. I honestly don't understand the issue here."

"The issue," Ron hissed out, running a hand through his hair- a sure tell that he was losing his patience, "is that our daughter is a _witch_. You're telling me that there were no other wizarding fable books at any of the hundreds of book shops you frequent?"

Hermione bristled at what her husband was insinuating. "Our daughter is born of two magical parents, this is true. But I am Muggleborn, in case you forgot. How dare you insult me for wanting to teach her both sides of her parentage! If it's so important for you that she has a magical upbringing then maybe instead of sitting on the couch doing nothing, you should read to her before bed as well!" Her voice had risen in volume and she was practically shouting.

Ron face turned red as he exclaimed, "That's the witch's job! My dad never read to me as a child! It was always my mum! Always!"

"I'm not your mother, Ronald! I didn't make this child alone and I certainly don't plan to be the only one raising her. I work just as much as you do and yet I cook, clean, and care for Rosie. So either you start to pull your weight around here, or you better get used to equal amounts Snow White and Belle as Babbitty Rabbitty and her stupid Cackling Stump!" Hermione hated the tears that had formed in her eyes and she hastily wiped the away.

She saw Ron gear up to continue the argument but watched his face soften as he seemed to think better of it. He sighed. "You're right, Mione. Of course, you're right. You wouldn't be Hermione if you weren't. All right, magical _and_ Muggle bedtime stories from now on. I can't promise to do much reading, though. I'm not much of a reader, you know that. But I'll ask Mum if she has any other books to recommend." With that he stood and kissed her forehead before pulling her to her feet and embracing her. And just like that everything was back to normal.

Presently, Hermione found herself caught up in so many memories that she was actually feeling bad about fighting with Ron earlier about Rose's broom. For a second she considered going to Harry's to reconcile, but she thought better of it. Instead, she drank the rest of her tea and tried to focus on Luna's new book on exotic magical creatures. After reading the same sentence three times and not remembering any of it, Hermione gave up. She wasn't reading much these days: a fact that she was determined to not read too much into. She felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin if she had to sit in her empty house any longer.

Without really thinking about, it she found herself pulling on a pair of black-heeled boots and her tightly-fitted black jacket. She fully intended to walk to Harry's to watch Rose fly. If she happened to get Ron alone to talk, then so much the better. But at the last minute, she turned right instead of left and found herself at the apparation point. Without much of a thought, she turned on the spot and found herself on the cobblestoned streets of Hogsmeade. She wandered down High Street, turned onto Cambria Way, and headed towards the pub that had become her refuge away from her husband, her job, her life. She pushed open the weathered oak door of the Dragon's Nest and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the change in brightness. The first thing she focused on made her do a double-take. There, sitting in her usual seat at the bar, was none other than Draco Malfoy. And as his stormy grey eyes met hers, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was waiting for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Let me see here... nope. Still don't own HP.

Over 100 follows already! *squeals* I love you all so much! Short little chapter for you lovely readers. The goal is to get Chapter Five up this weekend. Enjoy!

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Hermione walked to the bar and sat next to Draco. She was pleased to see that Fiona, the head bartender, was working that evening. Fiona seemed to feel Hermione's gaze on her and met her eyes, winked, and called over, "Glass of rum coming right up!" Hermione nodded and fiddled with her hands for a moment.

Remembering the first time she happened across her old school mate at this very bar, she smirked and turned to face him. "So…" she did the best impression of his familiar drawl, "Do you come here often?"

Malfoy's eyes widened and he let out a laugh. Hermione noticed he had quite a pleasant laugh, deep and rich. Completely different from the pureblood, airy, haughty laugh she typically heard from him. "I was wondering when I would find you here again. I got the impression you're quite the regular."

"I'm not a lush or anything, if that's what you're implying, Malfoy," she narrowed her eyes slightly. "I simply enjoy the environment here. I've been frequenting the place for years and have yet to see an article in the Prophet discussing my drinking habits. That makes this a trustworthy establishment, in my opinion."

Draco nodded in agreement. "I quite like coming to a place where I won't be recognized and hounded. This place is clean, lively, and discreet. I had a busy day today and didn't feel like returning to an empty house just yet so I stopped in." He eyed her suspiciously, "Doesn't your daughter come home on weekends? I'm surprised to see you here, actually."

She waved her hand in dismissal. "The look on your face when you noticed me walk in led me to believe that you were expecting me to make an appearance." She looked at him quizzically.

"Not expecting, Granger. Hoping for it is more like it."

Hermione froze at what he was insinuating. He had been looking forward to seeing her again?! Why?! She opened her mouth to ask him, but was cut off by Fiona as she brought Hermione her rum and turned to take Draco's order.

"Can I get you anything to drink, good lad?" Fiona smiled at him and looked at him expectantly.

"Just a gillywater on ice, please," he said, his voice dripping with manners she was sure he had spent his entire childhood cultivating.

Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out her can of Coke, grinning when she noticed Malfoy visibly balk at the sight of it. She popped the top and poured the amber liquid into her rum, swirling her glass a few times before taking a swig. "Thanks, Fiona, I needed this tonight." Hermione set the drink back on the bar and smiled at the brunette witch. "How's the brewing going?" Hermione inquired as she took another sip of her drink.

"Oh you know, it's going," Fiona replied, smiling warmly back at Hermione. "I can't quite get the recipe correct on my latest concoction, though," she said disappointedly. She pinched her thumb and index finger together. "I feel like I'm this close to a breakthrough, but nothing yet."

"It will come to you eventually, Fiona. It always does," Hermione assured the woman, patting her arm gently.

"I sure hope so," Fiona sighed and turned her attention back to Malfoy. "Gillywater, coming right up for you," she said as she breezed away to prepare his drink.

Draco directed his attention back to Hermione. "What exactly is she brewing?" he inquired interestedly.

Hermione smirked. She had noticed him tune in to the conversation when she had asked Fiona about her hobby. It must have taken all of his proper pureblooded restraint to not interrupt them when Hermione had first brought it up.

"Oh, Fiona is a magical mixologist," Hermione explained, idly stirring her drink with a stirrer she had pulled from her beaded bag. "She's fascinating, actually. Her mother is French and her father is a McLaggen. Makes for quite an interesting accent. She was raised in France, so she naturally has a thick French accent." Hermione noticed Draco's raised eyebrows and smiled. "She tones it down while working, most of the time. It avoids confusion for those who claim to not understand her because of the accent."

Draco nodded in understanding and she continued, "I love hearing her talk, it's amazing how she combines Irish phrases with French terms of endearment and she can switch from a French accent to an Irish one in the blink of an eye."Realizing she was rambling she shook her head and focused on the conversation at hand. "Anyway, though, she experiments with different drinks, putting her own spin on them. You know, she actually created a version of Fire Whiskey that doesn't burn when you drink it?" Malfoy noticed the excitement in her voice, the spark behind her eyes as she talked about her friend's creation. "She calls it Fire and Ice. It actually cools your throat. It's the only Fire Whiskey I'll drink anymore, actually."

"Hmm," Draco muttered, "That's quite interesting. I've never heard of magical mixology. Sounds a bit like potion-making."

"Yes," Hermione nodded, musing, " I would imagine the practice is similar. She has so many drinks in the works. I just love talking with her. You can tell she really has a passion for her work."

"And what about you, Granger?" Draco asked, turning to face her, his eyes searching, "Do you have a passion for your work?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, "Well, I always wanted to work in a position where I could help magical creatures who are unable to help themselves."

"Yes, I'm sure we all remember SPEW, Granger," he smirked before continuing, "But that's not exactly what you are doing in your position at the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

 _No,_ Hermione thought to herself. _No, it's not._ But to Malfoy she simply replied, "What I do at my job is none of your concern, Malfoy."

Fiona approached with the gillywater, but noticing that Hermione and Draco were deep in conversation she set the glass down, nodded at each of them, and walked away.

Picking up his gillywater, Draco spoke again, "Yes, that is true," he conceded, taking a sip of his drink and returning it back to the coaster. "But something is driving you here night after night. So, tell me Granger," he said, leaning in closer. "Its common knowledge that Ron is away more than he is home. You told me as much last time we spoke. 'A marriage of convenience' you called it. But if he isn't home, then nothing is driving you away. So is it workplace woes? Empty nest syndrome? Well, no. That last one can't be the case because your daughter comes home on the weekends, and yet here you are on a Friday night."

Hermione was shocked at the nerve of Draco Malfoy questioning her. He had no right to ask that information. And yet...she got the feeling that, behind the teasing tone of voice, he honestly wanted to know. He wasn't pushing, but it seemed as though he was offering to lend an ear. Similar to the physical cues he gave off at the now dwindling dinner parties, it seemed to her that he was extending an olive branch. Trying to assure her that, if she so desired, she had someone to lean on. She smiled ruefully to herself as she thought, _he's just doing it in a very Malfoy way_. And honestly, she realized she shouldn't be surprised. Hermione sighed and rubbed her temples. "Honestly Malfoy, have you never heard of small talk?"

He smirked at her. "That's not really my style."

She blew out an exasperated breath, "If you continue to play twenty questions with me, then I won't be frequenting this bar for much longer."

The smirk faded from his face. For a brief second, she thought she saw a flash of something like concern before it was replaced with the usual cool indifference. "Well, I have no qualms taking my business elsewhere," he said haughtily and moved to pull on his cloak.

"Why are you here, Malfoy? You said it yourself that you don't drink. You're a recovering alcoholic and yet you're sitting here at a pub of all places. Not very practical. And I can't imagine it's very pleasant, either." She quirked an eyebrow at him. "And don't give that nonsense you said earlier about it being discreet, clean, and however else you describe it. While it certainly is true, I'm sure there are much more suitable establishments in London that offer the same benefits and are more suited to your class."

He replaced the cloak on the back of his chair and sat back down, turning to face her, his face grave, "Who says I deserve for things to be easy? I've done terrible things to many people. And yet here I sit in what I imagine would be the same career, and with the same sum of money in my vault as I would have, no matter what the turnout." Hermione was surprised to note the torment in his stormy grey eyes. "I'm not saying I don't appreciate you and Harry speaking for me at my trial. But as I've grown older I've realized just how much of an arse I was. So I guess it depends on the day. Sometimes, I come here as a punishment. And other times I just don't feel like being alone."

"I don't want to be alone either," Hermione whispered. "That's why I'm here tonight. Rosie made the quidditch team at school. She went to Harry's to practice with Ginny. I bought her a new broom as a congratulatory present, but I didn't include Ron in the purchase. He totally threw a fit and stormed out, to Harry's. So I found myself alone when the rest of my family was together and while I know I should brush it off and go be with my daughter regardless, I just couldn't. So I came here. Sometimes I feel like, other than with Rose, the time I spend here is the only time I can breathe."

"I'm really sorry, Hermione." Her eyes widened at the use of her given name. It looked like he was going to say something else but instead he raised his glass to her in a silent salute and drank deeply. She raised her glass in the same fashion, a silent toast to secrets, redemption, and space to breathe.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Still don't own Harry Potter. Sorry for the delay with this chapter! Getting it edited down took forever and I wasn't sure when I was done with it, it was difficult to figure out a good stopping point. I hope you enjoy! Will write for comments! Just kidding, but comments do keep me motivated! Thank you lovely readers!

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Saturday morning Hermione woke late and walked out into the living room to find Elfie, her barn owl, pecking at the window. The house was quiet, there was no sign that Ron had ever returned home the previous night.

She padded over to retrieve the mail and give Elphie a treat. The owl cooed and plucked the treat from Hermione's hand, nipped her affectionately and then settled into her cage in the corner.

Hermione stuck the stack of mail under her arm and made her way into the kitchen where she prepared a cup of tea. She leaned against the counter and flipped through the usual bills, papers, magazine, advertisements, and at the bottom of the stack were two letters.

One, she could tell from the familiar handwriting on the front, was from Ron. The other was a thick green parchment with thin, sharp handwriting. She set the latter off to the side and tore into Ron's letter. It was only a few lines but it proved her suspicions correct.

 _H,_

 _Stayed the night at Harry's Taking Rosie to breakfast in Diagon. Harry coming with. Ginny making dinner tonight, said to invite you. The usual time._

 _R_

She had a feeling this trip to Diagon was more about spoiling Rose with Quidditch supplies than it was about breakfast, but she couldn't find it inside herself to care. Ron had always felt like he had to prove his love for his daughter by buying her things that his parents couldn't afford to purchase him as a child. Hermione could see how flawed that idea was but she knew better than to say anything. Somethings you just have to work through for yourself.

She finished her tea, poured herself another cup and cooked up some sausage and toast before curiosity got the best of her and she reached for the green envelope. Sliding her finger carefully under the simple green wax seal she slid the letter out and choked on her tea.

 _Granger,_

 _Enjoyed seeing you last night at The Dragon's Nest. I have a business venture I would like to consult with you on. Monday, same place, same time?_

 _P.S. If you are driven there for whatever reason before then and crave some company, just write Malfoy Business Ventures as the address and it should reach me._

 _M_

Hermione pushed the letter away as if it were poison.

She was thoroughly confused. They weren't friends. Sure, a few secrets had been exchanged but to actually request his company? It was unthinkable.

However, she was a bit intrigued by the business venture he spoke of. She couldn't fathom why he wanted to speak with her about any type of business, though. She worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. A desk job, at that...

Was he just trying to think of ways to see her? He couldn't be. One thing Hermione was sure of: she could not keep that letter in the house.

She extended her wand and pointed it at the exquisite parchment. She hesitated for just a moment before muttering "Incendio" and sent the paper up in flames.

Hermione took the afternoon to catch up on work. It wasn't often that she brought work home with her, simply because there wasn't much overflow.

Upon her graduation from Hogwarts, Kingsley, who had been named new Minister for Magic, offered her the same deal he had offered Ron and Harry. She could work for any department in any position she wanted.

Ron and Harry had accepted the offer without thinking twice, but it just didn't sit well with Hermione. People had died in the war. The world was forever changed. She just wanted to live life normally. It didn't feel right to benefit from such a tragedy.

So she insisted on doing things the normal way. She applied for a handful of departments and was offered interviews for all of them. She attended every interview she was offered. And at the end of every interview they told her they would be thrilled to have her on their team.

Hermione still felt a need to bring justice to creatures who were treated unfairly, so she took a position in Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. For the first three years she worked as a file keeper. She wasn't even permitted to read the files. But she persevered and once Bryce Higgins retired she interviewed for his job as a research assistant.

It took two interviews before her boss, a grumpy old wizard named Ernest Timmons, offered her the job. That was 7 years ago.

She had been trying to get promoted to Senior Investigator for the past three years, but Ernest rejected her every time, muttering things about seniority and, much to Hermione's offense, that witches needed to know their place.

She knew a single visit to Kingsley and she could have Ernest's job if she wanted it, but she just couldn't do it. Instead she put everything into being the best researcher on the staff, going above and beyond her coworkers.

Only one time did she dare speak up, when she had to research known werewolves in Great Britain. When she questioned why the list was needed she was informed that the Wizengamot was attempting to pass a law requiring a Werewolf Registry. No real reasoning was offered, simply just for the greater good and safety of the wizarding world as a whole. Hermione took her much overdue vacation days during the two weeks that the list was being researched and refused to be involved in the case any further. A kind older witch who had been a researcher for twenty years traded Hermione the werewolf file for a file on rogue unicorns.

Truth be told, she hated her job. But she was ten years in and didn't know what else to do. Ron would never understand if she told him what was going on. He would only pressure her to speak to Kingsley. So she suffered in silence, as was becoming the norm for most things in her life.

She walked around the back of the stairs and to the side of the cottage that housed her office. Hermione set the unicorn file on the desk, settled into the wooden desk chair and flipped the file open.

A family of muggles who were camping in New Forest in Southern England had stumbled upon a herd of unicorn, much to the delight of the family's four year old daughter. Word spread and a family friend, who happened to be a squib, caught wind of the tale. She alerted the Ministry who tracked down the family and obliviated them. Now it was up to Hermione to track down where the unicorns had come from. It was not illegal to keep unicorns as pets but it certainly was frowned upon.

Based on the location of the sighting and the close proximity to a small rural wizarding community Hermione was almost positive the herd had escaped from a farm in that town. Too small to even have a name, or at least the name was long forgotten, Hermione suspected a farmer there may have inherited the herd and they must have escaped. Since it's quite scandalous to keep them captive the farmer probably chose to not alert anyone. Hermione made a note to send one of the researchers to the town to ask around, find the owner of the unicorns and explain that the Ministry had decided to relocate them to the Forbidden Forest. Hermione had her nose is about three different books, trying to find the origin of the small wizarding village when she finally heard the front door open and her daughter's joyful voice carry through the house.

Hermione closed the file and slid it in her desk drawer and walked out to greet her daughter. Rose was sitting on the couch with a pile of packages laying next to her.

"Mom, you've got to see what Dad bought me today!" She reached for the nearest package and held it up. "Two new sets of flying robes! Made from the best quality aerodynamic fabric. Wind and water resistant! It's like wearing air!" She set the robes down and picked up a rectangular box. "And this is a broom keeping kit! Dad said you bought Uncle Harry one just like it when he made seeker in first year!" She set the box aside and reached for another box, this one resembling a shoe box. "New flying boots! And here! The latest edition of Quidditch Through the Ages!" Rose threw up hands and smiled a truly radiant smile. "I just had the best day! The rest of the team is going to be so jealous!"

Hermione ran a hand through her hair and forced a smile. "Wow, that's awesome Rosie! You're all set to take the junior quidditch world by storm!"

Rose laughed and walked over to hug her mother. "I wish you could have gone, Mum." she whispered.

Hermione patted her daughter's red curls and whispered, "Quite alright, dear. We'll have our shopping day soon, promise."

Rose stepped back and nodded. "I'm going to pack all this stuff and get cleaned up. Dinner at Aunt Ginny's tonight, Mum. You're coming, right?"

She smiled at her daughter. "Of course, hun. Go get cleaned up. You've been shopping half the day. Rest for a bit, there's plenty of time before dinner. Want me to bring you up a cuppa?"

Rose was halfway up the stairs, arms piled high with packages. "Sure, Mum, that would be great."

Hermione turned to walk into the kitchen. "Rosie?" she called up the stairs. "Where's your father?"

"I think he was going straight to Uncle Harry's. He said he would see us tonight though."

" _Too afraid to face me after our argument, I bet."_ Hermione thought as she added milk and sugar to Rose's tea. "Oh well," she muttered to herself. "At least Rose won't witness the tension between us."

She headed up the stairs with her daughter's cup and saucer, walking up the stairs and turning left. She knocked gently and then walked in and chuckled. There was Rose, fast asleep on her bed, hair splayed out around her, packages forgotten at the foot of her bed. Hermione put a warming charm on the tea so it would remain hot and tucked a blanket in over her daughter, brushing a kiss on her forehead, before creeping out of the room and softly shutting the door.

By dinner time that evening, Hermione had finished her work on the unicorn file, went down a rabbit hole of research on nearly extinct wizarding towns, changed into a teal turtleneck and jeans, and had twisted her hair into a French twist. She slid a set of silver hoops in her ears and went to wake Rose, who was still snoozing in her bed. Rose woke and dressed quickly, opting to finger comb her curls rather than fight a brush through them. Once she was ready, mother and daughter shrugged into their coats and slipped their boots on before heading the few streets over to Harry's cottage.

It was truly picturesque, right down to the white picket fence. A stone base with weathered siding, it stood two stories tall and bore a strong resemblance to the cottage Harry had lived in with his parents. Hermione and Rose walked through the gate, Hermione could feel the magic of the wards allowing their entry as they made their way up the walk and knocked on the door.

Ginny answered with Albus on her hip, the boy gnawing away at a teether.

"Come in, come in! How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to knock!"

"About as many times as I have to tell you the same thing!" Hermione countered and opened her arms to relieve Ginny of her toddler. Ginny handed him over and he settled contentedly on Hermione's hip, gurgling and still gnawing away.

Ginny had turned to talk to Rose and Hermione heard her daughter tell Ginny all about her new equipment that she had purchased that day. She let her sister-in-law and daughter talk animatedly amongst themselves as she headed farther into the house, holding a now squirming Albus, whom Hermione set down so he could toddle back to his mother.

She found Harry in the family room, watching a muggle television. Harry had purchased one immediately after buying the house, reasoning that he had never been allowed to choose which shows to watch at the Dursleys, so he had many years of tv watching to catch up on.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked, and she laughed as Harry flew out of the chair and drew his wand.

"Merlin, Hermione, don't do that! Make a bit more noise next time!" Harry exclaimed, a slightly wild look in his eyes as he tucked his wand away.

Hermione chuckled. "Calm down, Harry Potter, we both know that I would win that duel."

Harry ran his hands through his messy hair and laughed. "You're forgetting, Hermione. I'm the chosen one."

Hermione smacked him on the arm. "Don't start that again!"

"Oh you know it's true," he teased, a smile causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle. "And to answer your question, I have no idea. I thought he was with you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He told Rosie when he brought her home from Diagon this afternoon that he was coming straight here and he would see us tonight."

"Hmm, nope. Haven't seen him. We've been here all day too."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sure he'll pop in soon. You know Ron. He never misses a meal. Especially one that he doesn't have to cook or clean up after."

Hermione chuckled, but Harry didn't return the laughter. "Is everything ok with you two? Things seemed tense last night. And then he chose to stay here instead of going home. Now we don't know where he is and you don't even seem concerned."

She lay a hand on Harry's arm and sighed. "Yes, Harry. Everything is fine. You know, things just get tense sometimes. He was angry that I didn't take him to buy Rose's first broom. He overreacted and then walked out. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? But you know Ron. He always come back, guilty and groveling."

Harry's eyes were sad as he said, "Sure, Mione. But you know, I'm here if you ever need to talk. I know things have been tense ever since that mishap a few years ago…"

"It's nothing, Harry." she said firmly, ending the conversation. "Come on," she said over her shoulder, already walking out of the room, "let's go see if Ginny needs help with dinner."

Ron arrived about ten minutes later, muttering about going into the office to squeeze in a few hours of work to make up for all the spending that weekend.

Harry looked suspicious but thankfully said nothing as they sat down to eat a wonderful roast chicken that Ginny had cooked up - a recipe passed on from Mrs. Weasley, no doubt. Ron left after dinner, claiming exhaustion from running around all day. Ginny went out with Rose for some flying before they lost all the sunlight and Harry looked at Hermione and held her gaze as though willing her to open up to him. She averted her gaze and took Albus's hand, leading him to the play room to read to him for a bit. Harry shook his head slightly and retired to the living room to watch his shows.

Hermione couldn't get enough of little Albus. His chubby hands grasped at a set of blocks, methodically piling them up in a tower before inevitably they came tumbling down and he would laugh and laugh before piling them up again and again.

 _I could watch him forever,_ she thought, reaching over to brush a few strands of hair from his eyes. It seemed forever ago that Rosie was that small. Hermione was so nervous about doing everything right that she hardly ever took time to just sit and watch Rose play. She was just starting out at the Ministry, her marriage with Ron was quite new, she was setting up the house. Looking back now she wished she would have just stopped to sit on the floor with blocks and her baby instead of all that rushing and perfecting. Especially if she had known then what she knew now.

Albus yawned and rubbed his eyes, crawling into Hermione's lap and curling up in her arms. She rocked him gently. She heard Ginny and Rose come in and the clink of cups as Ginny made them both a cup of tea. She heard footsteps down the hall and felt eyes on her as she turned and saw Ginny watching her.

"Shh", Hermione said, motioning to the half-asleep boy in her arms.

"Want me to take him?" Ginny whispered.

"No, no. You go relax. Tell Rose to hang out for a bit. I'll just get him to sleep and then we can go home."

"Thanks, Mione. You're amazing, you know that?" Ginny blew a kiss to Hermione and then one to her son before closing the door and creeping back down the hall.

Slowly, Hermione made her way to the rocking chair in the corner and rocked Albus, rubbing circles on his back and just watching his eyes flutter shut. Hermione wanted another child so badly that it hurt. She yearned for a baby in her arms, the sound of little feet down the halls and fingerprints on every surface. But alas, it just wasn't meant to be.

Hermione wiped a tear from her eye and stroked Al's cheek as she thought back to the appointment where her stupid mistake had been discovered.

Rose was three. Hermione had just been promoted to researcher, Ron's hours were more steady. She was ready to add onto the family and Ron agreed.

So they began trying.

Months went by and nothing. After six months of nothing happening, she made an appointment at St. Mungo's. They asked for family history, about Rose's pregnancy and then they got to the subject of contraception.

The sweet nurse asked if Hermione had ever used the Fertilio charm to prevent pregnancy. Hermione nodded and said that for about a year and half after Rose was born she had used the charm before being prescribed the Abortivum potion.

The nurse asked the next question gently. "Did you ever use it while intoxicated?"

Hermione thought back to her and Ron's second wedding anniversary. Harry and Ginny had watched Rose and Ron had taken her out to dinner. She had indulged in quite a bit of wine. They had to resort to taking the floo home as neither of them were sober enough to apparate. They had been intimate that night and Hermione had cast the spell on herself.

Hermione recounted the story to the nurse, who looked at her sadly. She told Hermione she would consult with the healer in charge and someone should be in to see her soon.

Hermione remembered feeling a bit nervous, but brushed it off and waited for the healer to come in. After about ten minutes an older witch who slightly resembled McGonagall knocked and then walked into the room where Hermione sat on the exam table.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley. I'm Healer Owens and I'm one of the main healers in the fertility ward. Nurse Hintley just consulted with me about your case. I'm afraid I may have some upsetting news. When using a contraceptive charm while intoxicated, it greatly increases the chance of altering one's fertility. Slurring of words, the wrong wand movement, and the effectiveness of the spell can be altered. Unfortunately, there is no test to confirm but the fact that you had no issues conceiving with your first pregnancy and that your husband and yourself are in perfect health, plus the use of the charm in an intoxicated state being in your history, it would seem that there is some spell damage."

"What exactly does that mean, Healer Owens?"

The woman looked at her with nothing but compassion in her eyes. "'I'm afraid this all means that you no longer can conceive children, Mrs. Weasley."

And just like that, Hermione's life changed forever.

Hermione stayed like that, cradling Albus, lost deep in memories she hadn't allowed herself to think about in years, when she heard a gentle knock on the playroom door. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked up to see Harry pad quietly into the room.

"Mione? You've been back here for over an hour. Rose went home, thinking you had slipped out without her noticing and then flooed up to tell us you weren't there. When Ginny saw Albus wasn't in his crib, she realized you must still be back here." He crouched next to the rocking chair and took in her red, puffy eyes and the way she was clinging to Albus. "Do you want to talk about?" he asked gently, placing a hand soothingly on her knee.

"Talk about what, Harry? I'm fine. Just a bit tired. I guess I zoned out there for a bit." she looked back down at Albus, peacefully sleeping in her arms.

"Don't give me that, Mione. I know your history. We're not all as blind as you think us, you know. It's ok to not be strong all the time. It doesn't mean anything bad if you occasionally break down. But you need to talk to someone. If not me, then Ginny. We love you, Hermione. We've been worried about you. You're distant, Ron says some nights he will come home and you won't be there with no explanation of where you were. Let us in, Mione. We all want to help."

She reached out and put her hand on Harry's cheek, looking at him sadly. "I know, Harry. But I just...I can't talk about it. I'm afraid it's a burden that only I can carry. I'm not prepared for the chain of events that would take place if I let go and let it out."

"Have you tried talking to Ron? He's your husband. Take it from me, men can be daft sometimes but it doesn't mean we don't care. Let him in."

Her anger flared a bit but she quickly reined it in. "Oh, Harry. I have. He just doesn't get it. No matter the amount of times and different ways I have approached it. He's a good man, Harry. I know that. He just still has the emotional range of a teaspoon more often than not. And I have just learned to live with it."

Harry felt the conversation come to a close. He nodded and then gestured for Hermione to pass the still sleeping Albus over to him. She leaned in and kissed the child's forehead before placing him gently in his father's arms.

She then leaned in and gave Harry a hug. "I should get going, Harry. Thanks for the talk. I'll be ok, promise," she walked towards the playroom door. "If I don't see Ginny on my way out, tell her I love her and I'll see her this week sometime."

Harry stood, cradling his son, as he listened for the front door to click shut. He walked Albus into his room and set him gently on his toddler bed, covering him with the blanket Hermione had made for his baby shower. It was a crimson color with a golden snitch in the middle. Albus loved the blanket and never slept without it. Harry felt Ginny walk up behind him and put her arm around his waist. Resting her head on his shoulder they stood over their son and watched him for a bit.

"Did she open up to you at all?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but she was near tears when I found her in the room with Al. I don't see why Ron won't just agree to the treatment. I can't believe he doesn't see what this is doing to her."

"Well, she hid it for so long. I mean, I knew she wasn't happy but I didn't understand the extent. But then I found out from Hannah that Hermione is at the pub more nights than not. She's tried talking to Hermione too, but she says she's so guarded that even with some liquor in her she's a steel wall."

Harry slid his hand into Ginny's and led her out of Al's room and into the living room. Ginny sat and put her legs across Harry's lap. He started massaging her feet. They were quiet for a bit before Ginny spoke up.

"Harry, where do you think Ron really went today after you got back from Diagon?"

"I don't know, Gin. But I do know your brother would never, ever go into work on the weekend."

Ginny sighed. "Yes, that's what I'm afraid of."

Hermione woke Sunday and burrowed deeper under the covers before realizing what the morning held. With a small sense of dread, she threw the covers back from herself, careful not to uncover Ron and wake him. She wasn't ready to deal with him just yet.

She padded across the hall to the bathroom and turned the shower on. She methodically massaged shampoo into her hair, focusing on the task at hand, refusing to let her mind drift to steel grey eyes and raised glasses.

She heard Ron banging around in their room and quickly washed her body and conditioned her hair before turning off the water and wrapping herself in a towel. She walked into the bedroom as Ron was walking out. They passed by each other without so much as a word.

It wasn't anything abnormal. In fact, she was used to living in silence, each of them circling the other but not fully acknowledging the other, save for the spare news and family updates they passed back and forth. For whatever reason, Hermione seemed to notice the silence more so lately and she didn't know what she hated more: the silence itself or the fact that she had no desire to change it.

She magically dried her hair and applied a small amount of makeup before padding over to her closet. licking through the clothes, she decided to wear a pair of jeans and a loose white sweater. She placed a stack of slim brown bracelets on her wrist and added a coral colored infinity scarf to the ensemble. The chill in the air was becoming a constant and Hermione knew winter would be upon them soon. She slid on a pair of brown knee-high boots and then went to knock on Rose's door to wake her.

Hermione heard Rose moving around in her room so she went downstairs to have a cup of coffee and wait for her husband and daughter to finish getting ready to go.

Once everyone was ready, they walked to the living room and Hermione tapped her wand on the fireplace and muttered a spell, activating the floo network. She then tapped out a pattern on the stones above the mantle until one of the stones vanished, revealing a small box full of green powder. One by one, they all took a pinch of the powder. She placed the box back where it came from and tapped the same pattern, hiding the box from view again.

She stepped back, allowing her daughter and husband to leave first. Then she threw her pile of floo powder into the fireplace, stepped in, and shouted "The Burrow!" and with that, she was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Still don't own Harry Potter.

Special thanks to Chmi-Kat for being the best alpha/beta/recovering comma addict that a writer could ever ask for!

Sorry this took so long to get up! I totally had chapters 1-6 prewritten but then I decided to go a totally different way. So now I'm playing catch up. The goal is always be a chapter ahead, we are working on accomplishing that this week.

Thank you to everyone who has followed this story and favorited and commented! I appreciate each and everyone one of you! I'm working on replying to comments as well!

Also, to reply to the guest comment from last chapter: Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you are frustrated with Hermione! I am, too! She is having a hard time walking away for a multitude of reasons but that doesn't mean they are good reasons! If you can comment without being a guest then I am more than happy to PM you and discuss!

Sorry for the long A/N. Now on to the story!

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"Ow, Hermione, you couldn't have waited a minute before coming through? You landed right on my foot!"

Hermione shook the soot from her sweater and allowed her eyes to focus on her new surroundings. Ron was glaring at her from beside the fireplace as she stepped around him. "Sorry Ron, but I always tell you not to dawdle next to the network."

"I wasn't dawdling," he muttered, as he headed into the kitchen to find the rest of his family. Rose was nowhere to be seen; Hermione assumed she had already met up with her cousins and they were all playing somewhere.

Hermione loved Sunday breakfast at the Burrow. It felt cozy and warm, no matter the season. The scent of Molly's cooking wafted through the house and Hermione breathed deeply. Try as she might, she just couldn't master cooking the way Molly could.

Hermione walked into the kitchen and was met with the sight of George sitting at the table already, drinking a glass of orange juice. Molly left her spot at the stove and enveloped Hermione in a warm hug.

"Hello, dear, how are you?" her mother in law asked, giving Hermione an extra squeeze before releasing her and heading back to the cooking.

"I'm fine, Molly. Rose has some exciting news to tell you all though," Hermione said as she took a seat at the table. "Or did she spill the beans already when she breezed through here before I arrived?"

"No, but Harry and Ginny spilled the beans," George said with a wink, passing the jug of orange juice to Hermione, who helped herself to a glass. "Don't worry, we promise to act surprised when she announces it at breakfast.

"Oh, those two," Hermione said ruefully. "I should have known they would have said something." Hermione shrugged and took a sip of juice. "Oh well, as long as you all act surprised I'm sure Rose will never know."

"I'll never know what?" Hermione heard her daughter ask as she walked into the kitchen and nicked a slice of toast from a plate on the counter.

"How to be as cool as your Uncle George, that's what!" George teased as he ruffled Rose's hair and snatched a slice of toast for himself. Rose giggled and ducked out of the way to ran up the stairs, presumably back to where the rest of kids were.

"Where's Bill and Fleur?" Hermione inquired, noting the absence of the couple. They were usually the first to arrive-Fleur was near obsessive on punctuality.

"Oh, they couldn't make it this weekend, dear," Molly said over her shoulder as she placed some cooked sausages onto a plate and added some more to the stove to cook another batch. "Fleur's sister Gabrielle had her baby girl yesterday, so Fleur went to visit and Bill went with her."

Hermione smiled, albeit a bit sadly as she absorbed that news. Everyone around her was having babies, it seemed.

 _Yes, but you have a beautiful nine year old daughter playing upstairs_ , she reminded herself.

To Molly, she said, "How lovely. What name did she decide on? Last I spoke to Fleur, Gabrielle was having a heck of a time deciding."

"Genevieve, was it?" Molly replied, a thoughtful look on her face. "Or was it Evangeline? I can't seem to remember, either."

"Well, we'll find out for certain next time we see Fleur, I'm sure," George said with a laugh. "Even if we never meet the baby in person, Fleur will talk about her enough that it'll feel as though we've known her for a lifetime."

Everyone laughed in agreement as Arthur came in from the backyard, Harry and Ron in tow behind him.

All three were chatting together and when they saw the group sitting in the kitchen, Hermione noticed the slightly sheepish expressions on their faces. She knew that meant that they must have been fiddling with one of Arthur's muggle to magic contraptions again. Hermione couldn't really say anything about it, she had to admit Arthur was a genius to be able to convert muggle electronics to work well in the magical world.

"Dad," Hermione said, addressing Arthur with a warm smile, "do you think you could finagle one of those muggle televisions for us? I've been thinking on it, and sometimes when I just can't focus on reading it would be nice to have one of them to fall back on." Hermione tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced around at the crowd as more than one mouth was agape and most of her audience was looking at her incredulously.

Arthur, though, bless his heart, took it all in stride. "Right-O, Hermione. I actually have one I did up a few months back in case Harry decided he wanted one for the kiddos. You're welcome to it, if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much, thank you!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling her father-in-law into a tight hug as both a thanks and a belated greeting. He gave her a squeeze and let her go. Hermione observed the crowd in the room, noticing that they were still staring at her in surprise.

"What?" she asked no one in particular.

Ginny walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on Hermione's forehead. "You feeling well, Mione?" Ginny questioned, alternating between the palm of her hand and the back of her hand, simulating checking Hermione's temperature.

Hermione chuckled and stepped away from Ginny. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just haven't been able to find anything to keep my attention much these days. Even _I_ want to just tune out of the world every now and then."

She noticed more than one eyebrow raise at that, but before anyone could comment further Molly came to her rescue by levitating all of the food onto the table and announcing to the room. "All right, enough blabbering, everyone. Round up the kids and wash up. Food's done."

She steered Harry and Ron towards the stairs. "That's right you two, let your wives sit down and you do the work for once."

Hermione and Ginny both smiled appreciatively at Molly as the men grumbled and groaned, but ascended the stairs. Even in their late 20s, they still wouldn't dare cross Molly Weasley.

Hermione took her seat at the table and helped herself to some sausages and toast. She then passed the plate to George, who was sitting next to her. She heard footsteps on the stairs and saw the kids and husbands enter the room and all take seats at the table. Hermione smiled to herself as they all tucked into their delicious breakfast.

This house, rickety and worn down as it was, was comfortable and warm. She breathed in deep the air that was thick with the scent of maple and warm conversations.

She never wanted to give this up.

Her smile faltered for just a second as she came to realization that if she ever decided to seek her happiness again then giving this all up might just need to happen.

After everyone had eaten, and talked, and eaten some more, Hermione excused herself and ducked into the shed in the back yard to slip the magical tv into her bag. It took some rearranging of her books and clothing. She found a cake she had under a stasis spell which she had purchased for Hannah months ago for her birthday and totally forgotten about. Too late to gift now, Hermione vanished the cake, stacked the books, folded the clothing, and then finally was able to fit the tv in.

She rejoined Molly in the kitchen as everyone else proceeded to the backyard for an impromptu game of quidditch. Hermione poured herself a cup of tea and offered one to Molly, who politely refused. Molly set about on household chores and Hermioine made her way to the yard to watch her daughter fly.

It was a wondrous sight.

Rose was fast, and skilled. She was playing seeker for this game and she whizzed about the sky like lightning, curls whipping in the wind behind her. She saw her daughter dart towards the ground and pull up about 5 feet from the grass, a look of pride on her face as she held the snitch in the air. Everyone cheered and applauded, before descending from the sky and regrouping to begin another match.

The afternoon continued on in much the same way. Molly served some light sandwiches for lunch and everyone just helped themselves as they felt the need. Around four in the afternoon, Rose was dead on her feet and Hermione took her hand and led her away from the yard, telling her it was time to head home and catch her portkey to school.

So Rose made the rounds, saying goodbye to everyone and then joining Hermione in the living room to step through the flames and back into their familiar cottage.

"Did you have fun, today Rosie?" Hermione asked as they brushed the soot from their clothes and sat together on the couch.

"Mmhmm," Rose mumbled, laying her head in her mother's lap and curling up on the couch. Hermione wound her fingers through her daughter's curls, still wild from the quidditch matches, and hummed a tune.

"Momma" Rose whispered, voice thick with sleep, "why didn't you and dad have another baby?"

Hermione's fingers froze in her daughter's hair and she took a breath to compose herself.

"Well, sweet girl," Hermione started, praying to the gods, Merlin, and anyone else listening to give her the strength to face this conversation, "I always wanted to have a big family, but Daddy preferred a smaller one. We agreed on having two, maybe three children. But then you were born, and you were just so perfect that we just never felt the need to add anyone else to the mix."

"Oh…" Rose sighed. "Sometimes, I get so lonely when I'm home from school. I know I have James and Al, but there aren't any girls in town for me to play with. It would be nice," her daughter said, rolling over and looking into Hermione's eyes, "to have a little brother or sister to play with."

Hermione felt a sharp pain in her chest, like a knife in her heart, but refused to let it show. Instead, she forced a smile and said to her wide-eyed daughter, "Well, let me talk to your father and I'll see what I can do about that."

Rose nodded and stood from the couch, "I'm going to grab my bag for school. Portkey in half an hour, right?"

Hermione smiled warmly and watched her daughter ascend the stairs. "Right you are. Let me know if you need help packing."

As soon as she heard Rose's door close, she swept to the other side of the cottage and into her office, shutting the door firmly behind her and casting a quick silencing spell. After taking three quick strides into the room, she collapsed onto the floor and wept.

She cried for her daughter, surrounded by love and comfort but still feeling alone. She cried for her childhood self, who struggled with the same feelings. She even cried for Ron, who would never understand the want for a sibling, the hollow feeling of loneliness that settles in deep and refuses to leave. And after she exhausted herself from crying for those around her, she finally, finally gave in and cried for herself.

She lay on the oriental rug for what felt like hours, but was actually no more than fifteen minutes. When she heard footsteps approach she wiped her tears and composed herself, placing a glamour on her face so no one would notice her red, swollen eyes. Grabbing a book and hooking it under her arm, she opened the door right as Rose raised her fist to knock.

"Portkey is almost ready. Can you tell Dad bye for me. He still isn't back from Gramma and Grandpa's yet."

Hermione followed Rose through the first floor of the cottage. Around the back of the stairs, past the kitchen, through the living room, and finally to the front door. She pulled Rose in close, breathing in her familiar scent of childhood and the rose-scented lotion she had been given for her birthday.

"Of course I'll tell him." She patted her daughter gently on the back and pulled away, placing her hands gently on Rose's shoulders and smiling down at her. "Now, do you have everything? Books? Broom? Homework?"

Rose nodded, gesturing towards the broom leaning against the door frame, just waiting to be grabbed before Rose vanished away to Southern England for the next week.

Rose reached into her bag and pulled out a tarnished old hair brush that had begun glowing blue. "Love you, Mum. See you next weekend!" Hermione opened the door and followed her daughter out to the yard and smiled. I love you too, Rosie. Have fun! Be safe!"

She stepped back and waved as the hairbrush blinked blue rapidly, warning that the portkey was about to depart. Rose lifted her hand to her mouth and blew her mother kiss right before the portkey activated and she was whisked away.

Hermione stood in the doorway and stared at the empty spot her daughter had just been before shaking herself out of her reverie and returning to her cottage.

She grabbed her bag and removed the television she had gotten from Arthur earlier and set it up in the living room. She observed the finished product before pulling out her wand and tapping the television gently. She watched the screen flicker and then come to life. Smiling to herself, she flicked her wand up, watching the channels change rapidly. She stopped when she saw what looked like a chick flick. Watching as a man professed his love to a woman in the pouring rain, she settled onto the couch.

She didn't feel like getting up to prepare herself some tea so she reached into her bag and summoned the spare pot she kept in there.

"Aguamenti" she muttered, watching as water poured from her wand into the pot.

She placed the lid on the pot and set it on the coffee table before waving her wand again and placing a warming charm on it. While she waited for the water to warm up she rummaged in her bag for the tea cup and tin of tea she knew had to be in there somewhere.

"Aha!" she said to herself as she pulled out the tea cup. Giving up on finding the tea by hand she said "Accio tea!" and felt the tin hit her hand. She grabbed it and pulled it out, smiling to herself. She just loved her beaded bag. She summoned herself the container of sugar she kept in there as well, before setting about preparing the tea.

Hermione drank deeply, feeling a level of relaxation she hadn't felt without the assistance of her rum and coke for quite some time. This television could be dangerous. She realized now why the obesity epidemic was running rampant in the muggle world. It was so easy to just sit on the couch and find anything to amuse yourself. Completely forgetting the world and everything in it.

The movie ended sometime later, the credits rolling while a love song played in the background. Hermione wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes at the end of the movie. She had forgotten how emotional tv could make her. She glanced at the time. It was nearly 8 and still no sign of Ron.

Irritation mounted somewhere deep inside of her.. She remembered when Rose first started school and Ron made the effort to take Hermione out for dinner those evenings, to keep her mind off her daughter's absence. It had been so nice to connect like that and she missed it. She decided she would give him another half hour and then she would find her own meal out somewhere.

Hermione cleaned up the mess she had made with her tea, washing the pot and the cup before placing everything back in her bag.

In an effort to kill time, Hermione refolded the throw blanket on the back of the couch, which had become ruffled during her muggle movie. She used the restroom, fixed her hair and then, when she could think of nothing else to keep her busy, checked the time.

"Time's up," she found herself saying out loud, somewhat sadly, as she shook her head. She felt disappointment mixed with a hint of something else that she couldn't quite place.

Reaching into her bag for a quill and some parchment, she wrote a quick note for Ron and threw on her coat before walking out the door and disapparating with a crack.

She hadn't really thought about where she would end up, she just pictured Hogsmeade in her head out of habit. Hermione shivered as the wind ripped around the building and wrapped around her. She hadn't noticed how cold it had become outside and reached her hand into her bag, pulling out her traveling cloak. Wrapping the expensive velvet cloak around her shoulders and tying it hastily, she felt the warmth spread through her body.

As the cloak did its work, she pushed off against the wind, making her way down High Street and towards Cambria Way. She turned the corner and felt her shoulders release a bit of their tension at the sight of her refuge. She hurried the rest of the way to the door and pushed in.

She smiled at the sound of conversation and merriment as she removed her cloak and folded it over once, twice, and pushed it into her bag. She raised her eyes and felt her heart sink a bit when she didn't see a shock of blonde hair sitting at the bar.

 _Stop that!_ , she thought to herself as she waved to a few of the regulars and sat in her usual seat at the bar. Hannah was working that evening and she waved happily at Hermione.

"What'll it be, Mione?" Hannah asked, making her way over to where Hermione sat at the bar. "The usual?"

Hermione smiled warmly at the witch and started to nod before stopping herself. "You know what, I'll just have a butterbeer tonight, Hannah. Thank you."

Hannah nodded and turned her back to pour the requested beverage.

Hermione glanced around the pub. She saw faces old and new. It was funny, she mused. She knew she was regular at the place and she knew who else frequented here as well, but she couldn't tell you their names, and chances were they couldn't tell you hers either. There was something comforting about the anonymity that made her feel secure instead of lonely.

Hannah plunked the mug of butterbeer in front of Hermione and asked, "Do you need anything else?"

"Actually, Hannah, do you have any food prepared?"

Hannah shook her head. "No, nothing. We've been so busy lately. With no steady cook on staff, we just have to prepare things as we have time and there hasn't been any time lately."

Hermione nodded and took a sip of butterbeer. "Of course. Figured I would ask."

Hannah nodded sadly. "Sorry. If we could find someone else to work as a barback I would have no problem cooking full time, but no such luck yet."

"I'll keep my ears open, for sure." Hermione said. Hannah thanked her and breezed away to prepare a drink for another patron.

Hermione took another sip of her butterbeer and sighed.

"Couldn't eat before you got here, Granger?"

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 **A/N** : Oooh, who do you think it is? I know, no Dramione in this chapter but I promise next chapter will focus solely on them. Be on the lookout soon!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I don't own HP.

This is my fave chapter so far. I hope you all like it! Shout out to the 90s kids, let me know in the comments if you recognize Draco's house elf's name!

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Hermione jumped as she felt a familiar presence sit delicately on the stool next to hers.

"Malfoy! When did you get here?" She realized she had placed her hand stereotypically over her heart and removed it hurriedly, turning her attention to the blonde who was now shrugging his cloak off.

"About five minutes ago. I didn't want to intrude, so I lingered by the door until you finished your conversation with Ms. Abbott." He said, nodding his head in Hannah's direction.

"Eavesdropping while you were at it." She noted, eyes narrowing.

He smirked that classic smirk and nodded. "All of my politeness was used up by not intruding, so of course I had to eavesdrop. Keeping my ration of good and evil balanced, and all that." He joked, smiling warmly at her. "Now, are you really hungry? I can arrange for you get something to eat, if you would like?"

She was caught off guard and had to gather her thoughts before replying. Was he offering to take her out to eat? Could she do that? Well, of course she _could_ do that, but _should_ she? Would it be betraying Ron?

The thoughts rushed through her head in quick succession and she found herself simply replying with, "Yes, I am quite hungry but it's fine. I can just finish this drink and be on my way."

"Nonsense, Granger. No need to leave simply because there is nothing here to eat." He smirked at her again before snapping his fingers. "Muzzy!" he called out.

With a loud crack that made half the pub jump, a house elf had appeared in front of Draco.

"Yes, Master Draco, what can Muzzy do for yous?" the elf squeaked and dipped so low to the ground that his nose nearly brushed the floor. Hermione noted with a smile that the elf was wearing a tiny three piece suit, complete with tails. Leave it to Malfoy to have an impeccably dressed house elf.

"That's enough, Muzzy, stand up please." Draco commanded, albeit gently.

The elf stood up and waited for his orders.

"Fetch Miss Granger here some shepherd's pie, Muzzy. And bring a tray of fudge along, too."

The elf nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, Master Draco. Right away Master Draco. Muzzy will return in a flash!" And with a crack, the elf disappeared.

Hermione shot Draco an inquiring look.

"What?" he asked, humor dancing in his eyes. "I freed all of the Malfoy elves after my parent's deaths... Muzzy allowed me to free him, but refused to actually leave. When I purchased my townhome, he followed." Draco shrugged and glanced around the pub. A few people were still glaring at him for the fright Muzzy had given them. "He buys suits with his pay. He has a wide variety, his closet is probably more vast than my own, truth be told."

Hermione laughed at the thought of a tiny elf-sized closet jam-packed with suit after suit in varying colors and styles. It was such a ludicrous image, but it made sense. Elves tended to latch on to one item to obsess over. Dobby had his socks, Winky had her alcohol and Muzzy: his suits.

Just then Muzzy cracked back into the pub, a plate of food in his tiny hands. He held the plate out to Hermione and bowed deeply when she took it from him with a gracious thanks. He then took the small tin from under his arm and handed it to Draco. Hermione could only assume that was the fudge Draco had requested. Draco thanked Muzzy and dismissed him. With another crack the elf was gone.

"Well," Draco said, nudging Hermione's arm, "don't just look as it. Eat, Granger. I know you're hungry."

"Right, thanks. You really didn't need to do this." Hermione smiled in thanks before tucking into the meal. She had to restrain herself from moaning as she took a bite of the shepherd's pie.

Draco watched her with an amused look on his face. She felt his gaze and side eyes him and as she took another bite.

"What?" she huffed out between bites. "I haven't had shepards pie since Hogwarts. This is _good_."

Draco grinned in response and opened the tin to reveal chocolate mint fudge. He extended the tin to her and gave her an inquiring look. She took the last bite of pie and then reached in to nick a piece of fudge.

Before trying the fudge, she reached into her bag for a cup, which she filled with water from her wand. She took a few gulps and then nibbled on some of the fudge. This time she did moan. It was delicious! Rich and minty and the perfect consistency. After polishing off the rest of her piece of fudge, she turned to Draco.

"Thanks. For this." She said, gesturing to her now empty plate. "You didn't have to do this, I could have just eaten at home. But I appreciate it."

"You deserve to know that someone cares for you, Granger. I get the feeling you don't get told that enough."

Hermione fell silent as she let his words sink in. He kept doing this-saying things that were straight forward-and it just seemed so out of character for a man who practically bled green and silver.

She couldn't take it anymore and she just had to ask. "Why do you say things like that? Just spilling out whatever you think or feel about me. Where's that Slytherin cunning and secretiveness?"

He smiled at her, but she noted that it didn't reach his smoky grey eyes. "It's a bit of a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Well," she said, uncrossing and recrossing her legs to make herself comfortable, "I don't have any plans for the rest of the evening. If you're offering the story, then I'm here for it."

He gave a short nod and began, "As I'm sure you know, my parents both passed away a few years ago. My father passed on first, and not long after, my mother passed as well. My father had been cleaning out the Manor and came across an ancient cursed book. It must have been hidden away for years, because he had no idea what it was. The curse acted quickly and Saint Mungo's could do nothing for him."

At that, Hermione felt a pang of sympathy. She had been there before. Spell damage that St Mungo's could not fix. She reached out and placed her hand over Draco's without even thinking. His eyes widened at the sudden physical contact but he said nothing and did not remove his hand.

He continued. "My mother was heart broken, of course. She passed on suddenly in her sleep not three months after my father. It's still a mystery. No one at St Mungo's could tell me what caused her passing." He paused to take a sip of water with his free hand.

As he began again, his eyes landed, unfocused, on Hermione's hand resting on top of his own. Without seeming to think about it, he turned his hand so that instead of resting on the back of his, her hand now rested in the palm of his. One small movement by either of them and they would be holding hands. But he kept his hand flat. Her eyes widened a bit at what he seemed to be trying to accomplish, but she said nothing and didn't remove her hand. She didn't twine their fingers together either, but the continued contact seemed enough for Draco.

"When I was cleaning out the Manor months later, figuring out what to keep, donate, and so on, I came across my parents' journals. It's Malfoy tradition for the patriarch of the family to keep a journal; the library at the manor was full of them. I don't know what I expected to read in their journals, but I was stunned by what I found."

Hermione was absently stroking Draco's palm. She was listening intently to his story, but the circles she was drawing on his palm made him shiver. She looked up at him and met his eyes, her expression unreadable. "My parents had an arranged marriage. I knew that they respected each other, but I never thought that they loved each other. It wasn't something that they really talked about. My father loved to tell me that emotions made a man weak."

Draco laughed humourlessly.

"And my mother would say that emotions were best kept close to one's heart to avoid being vulnerable. As I read my father's journal I noticed something. He, like me, did not think my mother loved him. But he loved her deeply, almost reverently. He talked about how he would give anything to keep her safe, how he would not be the same man without her. I was shocked. And I was even more shocked to read my mother's diary." His palm twitched beneath hers and Hermione's fingers stilled.

"In her diary she wrote of feeling as though my father resented her. She was convinced that it was Bellatrix that my father had loved and that she would never be what he desired. And it broke her heart because she loved my father deeply, and had for years before they had even been wed."

The weight of Draco's words sunk in and Hermione entwined their fingers without much thought as she gasped. "So they both were madly in love with the other but they never told each other?" she whispered, voice thick with wonder.

"Exactly. My parents died with neither of them knowing how much the other loved them. It was a bit of an eye-opener for me. To be honest, it really messed me up. My parents were absolutely crazy about each other and no one knew. It was after reading their journals that I decided that I was done living in the land of pretending. I vowed to myself to be as authentic with the people in my life as possible. Especially the important ones." With that he gave her hand a light squeeze.

She found herself laying her other hand on top of their joined hands and leaning in closer to him. Alarms were sounding in the back of her head, but the alcohol she had consumed on top of the look in Draco's eyes made it unimportant. Draco made to lean in towards her as well, before his eyes went wide. He gave his head a slight shake and pulled back, just a bit.

That movement, the way he leaned back away from her made something in her mind click and she pulled her hands away from his and looked away quickly, feeling her face grow hot. She shoved a curl behind her ear and fidgeted with her shirt seam, trying with all her might to look anywhere but at him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him take a swig of his drink. She chanced a glance at him and saw his eyes roaming all over the room. He was looking everywhere, it seemed, but at her.

Her mind was racing. What would have happened had he not pulled back? Would she have actually kissed Draco Malfoy? In public? In front of a barkeep that knows both her sister-in-law and, oh yes, also her _husband_.

She was fully prepared to feel the disgust well up inside of her, but it never came. Instead, she felt something like regret. And not regret at almost allowing it to happen. No, she felt regret at the fact that it _didn't_ happen.

 _What was wrong with her?_

Hermione felt the room begin to close in on her and she realized that she had very nearly just cheated on her husband and she didn't even seem to care. She couldn't stay in the pub any longer. She didn't trust herself anymore and that scared her. She shot out of her seat, throwing some galleons on the bar as she went.

Draco's head turned at the sudden movement and their eyes met. She felt her heart flip flop and she pushed the feeling away. She couldn't do this. It wasn't her. She threw her cloak over her shoulders and mumbled out a thanks for the food at a wide eyed Malfoy who seemed rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do.

Hannah was thankfully being kept busy with customers and hadn't noticed the moment they had shared but as Hermione fled out the heavy wooden door of the pub, Hannah paused for a second. Her eyes went to Hermione's seat and she noticed Draco, still rooted to his stool with a torn expression on his face. Before she could go over and question him on what just happened, she was flagged down by a customer who asked about some of Fiona's concoctions and Hannah was quickly caught up in conversation. She didn't even notice when, a few minutes later, Malfoy had thrown his own galleons down alongside Hermione's and left the bar, an unreadable expression on his face.

Hermione didn't even manage to make it to the apparition point before she turned on the spot and found herself in the middle of her garden. The fresh air and openness of the garden made the knot that had formed in her stomach loosen and she took her first deep breath since she had rushed from the pub. Still feeling conflicted but no longer on the verge of a breakdown, Hermione let herself into the cottage. She tensed as she heard the television on. She hadn't expected Ron to be home.

 _"Of all the nights for him to be home at a respectable hour,_ " she agonized to herself. There was no avoiding him, she had to walk through the living room in order to go anywhere else in the house. With a sigh she removed her cloak and set her shoes on the shoe rack by the door. Slinging her cloak over her arm she crept into the living room, hoping that Ron had fallen asleep while watching a show and that she would be spared from having to interact with him.

"Been a while since we have both been home and awake at the same time in the evening," he called out. She stiffened at his voice and then steeled herself to face him.

"You're right," she murmured, moving closer to the couch that he was lounging on, legs sprawled out in front of him, one hand behind his head as he watched some action movie. "I'm feeling a bit peaky though, I was thinking of turning in early."

He glanced at her with concern. "Are you ok? Can I get you something?"

She shook her head and gave him a tiny smile. "No, it's ok. I haven't been sleeping well, I think I just need to turn in early. See you up there though?"

He nodded, his attention already back on the telly as a car exploded into flames. "Right, right. I'll be up once this movie is over, ok? Call down if you need anything." He reached out and caught her hand as she moved to walk past him towards the stairs. It was the same hand that had been entwined with Malfoy's earlier and the thought made her heart want to both sink and sing and the conflicting feeling was enough to make her dizzy.

"You sure you're ok, Mione?" Ron asked, concern showing clearly on his face.

She forced a smile and pulled her hand from his. "I'm fine, I promise. Just ready to crash."

He nodded but still kept an eye on her as she ascended the stairs. She paced herself to avoid taking the stairs two at a time. She wasn't really feeling the least bit tired, but she knew she had to act it. She forced herself to make her way slowly to the top of the stairs. Once she reached the landing she shut herself in the bathroom.

Hermione turned the shower on full-blast and waited until the room was filled with steam before stepping in. The hot water began to loosen the knots in her shoulders and she thought of work.

She thought of Ginny and how it would be James' birthday soon. She thought of owling Rose to find out the schedule for her matches so she could be sure to attend a few of them. She thought of all of those things and stayed under the water until it went from scalding to freezing.

She turned the water off and methodically brushed her hair, dried it with a spell, and slipped into sweatpants and a Hogwarts alumni tee shirt. She laid in her bed and right before sleep took her, she finally allowed herself to remember the feel of his hand in hers. The roughness of them, the way he had upturned his hand, offering it to her but keeping the ball firmly in her court as well.

Hermione rolled over and burrowed her head into her pillow and the last thing she thought of before dreams came was his eyes and the way they made her heart skip a beat in way that it hadn't in years.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry sorry for making you wait so long for an update. I love being a mom but sometimes these kids just wear me down. I'm so happy to finally get this chapter put out because it's really a turning point in the story. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!**

 **Oh yeah, I still don't own Harry Potter.**

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Hermione didn't know how to process the events of that night at the pub.

So she simply didn't.

She threw herself into work, tracking down the owners of the escaped unicorns and issuing them citations for failing to report the herd's disappearance. She checked in with Hagrid for tea on Tuesday and they walked through the forest so she could see that the unicorns were safely settled into their new environment. Feeling rejuvenated in a way that only a trip to Hogwarts could accomplish, she went into work on Wednesday to finish her report and hand off the unicorn case file to her supervisor so he could close the case.

Hermione took the downtime that came between cases to organize her cubicle. She had let it get out of hand with clutter. There were notes stuck to the desk and walls that were from cases that she had passed along months ago. She disposed of the outdated notes, filed the ones that were still of use, and scourgified everything so that it was basically sparkling. Hermione made a quick mental note to bring a candle tomorrow because she hated how sterile her cubicle smelled after a good scourgify.

She leaned back in her chair and admired the neatness of her desk. She had only two personal touches added to her cubicle. On the wall to her left she had stuck a copy of Rose's quidditch photo and on her desk next to her jar of quills she had an outdated family photo of her, Ron and Rose. Rose was no more than six in the photo. Hermione had insisted on taking them into Muggle London to go to a commercial photographer to get the picture taken. Ron had raised his eyebrows but given in when Hermione said that with her parents gone she wanted to make sure Rose got exposure to the muggle world every now and then.

She looked at the picture for a few minutes, contemplating what to do with it. It was so outdated that she felt as though she needed to do away with it, but she also felt bad removing the only sign of Ron in her workspace. She wavered back and forth in her decision before snatching the picture and tossing it into her bag with finality.

She had just started to go through the files in her drawers when there was knock on the side of her cubicle and she saw Enoch Thomas leaning against it, waiting for her attention.

"Mrs. Weasley, good job on the New Forest Unicorn case. I just finished closing it out. Now, I'm afraid that we have a shortage of cases right now. Flannigan is handling the centaur case in Southampton, Owens has the pixie case in Ottery St Catchpole and since you refused to work on the werewolf registry, it seems that I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. The boss man says that you have to either work on the werewolf registry or pack your things."

Hermione had been nodding along with him but at those words she stopped nodding as she processed the meaning behind them. "Sir," her voice shook as she choked the words out that she never thought she would have to say, "are you letting me go?"

The pity in Enoch's eyes said enough. "I'm sorry, Hermione. If you refuse to work on the werewolf registry, then there just isn't enough work to go around."

Anger flamed up inside of her. "But I have seniority! I've worked in this department for nearly ten years! Flannigan has been here for six and Owens only three! Why am I the one being let go?"

"Well," he said hesitantly, eyes looking everywhere but in her face, "you happen to be the only one who tries to get a say in the cases you take. Everyone else in the department has put their time in with the registry except for you."

She let the words sink in. This job had beaten her down and worn her out and now she was at a crossroads. She could either give in and go against her every belief and work on the blasted registry or she could accept her fate and allow them to fire her. She thought of the promotions she had been passed over for, the long hours she had put in when she was new to the position, and all the things she had missed out on when Rose was a baby because of work.

With those things in mind, she summoned something she hadn't felt in a long time. Her Gryffindor courage.

"Well," she spat out, rising out of her chair and standing as tall as she could, boring her eyes straight into his, "I'll have my things packed up here in a few seconds. As you can see I don't have very much here." She summoned a box and threw her teapot, tea cup and Rose's quidditch picture into it. He looked almost nervous at her outburst. She picked up the box and brushed past Enoch and straight out of the department, leaving Mr. Thomas staring after her with no choice but to watch her go.

The box was just for show, of course.

She put Rose's picture and the tea set into her beaded bag before disposing of the stupid box and using the ministry exit for what would most likely be the last time. By the time she had reached the streets of London, she was seething with anger. The nerve of them!

She had worked so hard at that department! She had missed Rosie learning to crawl. She had lost countless nights of sleep when she had been assigned the werewolf registry before she finally had enough and refused to work it anymore. She had been laughed at for bringing up house elf rights and she had allowed them to beat her down and shut her up in a way that ashamed her in hindsight.

When had she lost sight of her values? She had known she wasn't happy in the department for years and yet she had never once considered walking away because she truly had no other options. She knew she could easily get a teaching job at Hogwarts but she just didn't see herself as a teacher. She was too impatient with people who didn't understand the material and she knew she would burn out within a year.

The streets of London were almost empty as most people, both magic and muggle, were working. She wandered aimlessly through the streets of London before she eventually found herself at the apparation point.

Without much thought, she landed in Hogsmeade. She walked the familiar cobblestone streets until she reached The Dragon's Nest. Hermione pushed on the wood door without much thought and found herself walking straight into it. Stunned, she backed up a bit. Of course! It was 2pm. Not exactly prime pub time. She cursed softly to herself and jumped when, from above, she heard a familiar French accent.

"Such language Hermione! It's unbecoming of a woman!"

She put a hand over her eyes to block the sun and looked up at the brunette whose head was sticking out of the window above the pub. "Oh hush, Fiona! I've heard you say that and more when you drop something behind the bar!"

Fiona laughed and threw her head to the side, motioning to Hermione, "Come around the side of the building. You'll see a door. It's warded, but I invited you in so it should be unlocked."

"You live here?"" Hermione asked in surprise. "How did I not know this?"

"You never asked!" Fiona laughed with a shrug. "Now get up here!" With that she disappeared back into the building, shutting the window behind her.

Hermione walked around the building and saw a door she had never noticed before. She twisted the knob and pushed through the doorway and was immediately presented with a set of stairs. She followed them up and found herself in a neat little flat.

"Welcome, cheri, to my wonderful home!" Fiona exclaimed, walking up to Hermione and pulling her in for a hug. "What brings you here so early? The pub doesn't open for another few hours."

"I was officially released from my position at the ministry today." Hermione said for the first time out loud. Saying it made it all the more real and she suddenly felt dizzy at the thought.

"Oh no!," Fiona exclaimed, taking Hermione's hand and leading her to the small bistro-style table in her kitchen. "What was your position? You don't seem like the firing type! Tell me everything." Fiona sat across from Hermione and leaned forward, waiting for Hermione to explain.

Hermione opened her mouth. Then she closed it.

She took a deep steadying breath and again opened her mouth. This time, words tumbled out. "I worked in the magical creature division. They fired me because I refused to help them round up werewolves. I gave them ten years! Ten years of my life wasted!"

Hermione's voice was steadily increasing in volume, but Fiona only waved her wand in the direction of the kitchen and suddenly the tea pot on the stove sprang to life, warming water for tea as Hermione continued her rant.

"I missed my daughter's first steps! Her first word was "bye bye" as I was leaving for work one morning!"

Fiona shook her head at the thought but said nothing, allowing Hermione to continue.

"I did everything they asked! Took every single case and the one time I put my foot down and refused to work on something they fired me!" Hermione's hair had come out of the bun she typically wore it in to work and was now frizzing out spectacularly in a way that was reminiscent of Snape's potions class. Hermione took in a shaky breath and sat back in the chair and closed her eyes. She counted to 5. When she opened her eyes,Fiona was preparing two cups of tea which had just been levitated to the table.

"Sugar?" Fiona asked, raising her eyebrow in question.

"Yes, please. And a touch of milk."

Fiona nodded and splashed some milk into the cup before sliding it over to Hermione. They sat in silence for a bit, sipping their tea and processing Hermione's outburst.

Fiona spoke first.

"Well, what do you know about mixology?" Fiona asked, with a glint in her eye.

Hermione let out a harsh laugh and ran her fingers through her hair, still trying to calm the frizz. "What, like, coming up with drinks like you do?"

"Yes," Fiona nodded, "and no."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Fiona. "Continue."

"It's researching ingredients that would give off the effect you want the drink to have and then testing them to see which fits with the drink best. There are certain ingredients that may produce the results you want but that have adverse side effects. So you have to test numerous recipes before finding an ingredient that would make the drinker glow."

Hermione leaned forward at the word "research." Now _that_ was something she could do.

Fiona continued, "There's crushed fire crab claw. That would make the drinker glow and project a color changing aura around them. The downside is that fire crab claw can cause the drinker to also breathe fire."

Hermione's eyes widened at the thought.

"So we need to add something that will cancel out the fire. I've found that crushed Yeti teeth work very well and when crushed together with the fire crab claw completely cancels out the fire breathing."

"Wow," Hermione breathed. "Sounds fascinating!"

"It sure is," Fiona nodded in agreeance. "So, what do you think? Want to be my research partner? I'll match what you were making at the ministry so you wouldn't be taking a pay cut. And for any drink you completely finish you will get a percentage of any sales once its on the market."

"Oh, Fiona, that sounds wonderful! But I couldn't possibly accept! I have no formal potions training. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Hermione! All you need to begin is an idea. And I have a feeling you have plenty of those." Fiona smiled warmly at Hermione.

"So I would just think up a drink, research how to prepare the drink, and then experiment?" It sounded a lot like what Weasley's Wizard Wheezes did to come up with their products. Hermione laughed. "I'm a bit of a perfectionist, Fi. I don't think I could handle all of that trial and error."

Fiona grinned. "Consider it a lesson of life then. Get you to, how do you say... loosen up a bit. Come on, I'm having trouble juggling the orders of my marketed products and finding time to work on new stuff. You would really be helping me."

"Well," Hermione hesitated. Ron would certainly have a thing or two to say about her accepting a job preparing drinks for a living. He wouldn't ever understand that it was actually a research position. Then again, Ron wouldn't even think about her opinion if he ever decided to switch jobs. "All right, Fiona. I'll work with you."

Fiona clapped her hands and rushed into the kitchen. Hermione watched in amusement as Fiona fumbled with two champagne glasses before giving up and just silently levitating them to the table. She laughed and looked at Hermione over her shoulder. "Honestly, I don't know _how_ muggles do anything without magic!"

Hermione laughed. "They don't know any other way. Trust me, I try to keep a balance of magical and muggle ways of living, and it's tough."

Fiona came back over to the table with a bottle of champagne tucked under her arm and nodded. "Oh I'm sure. They're impressive. Muggles. I swear, it would be a punishment worse than Azkaban to send a pureblood to live life as a muggle with no magic. They would be completely helpless."

Hermione hummed in agreeance.

"Well, anyway," Fiona said as she uncorked the champagne and poured two glasses. She held her glass up to Hermione. "Toast to this new partnership?"

"To our new partnership!" Hermione lifted her glass and clinked it with Fiona's. They both drank deeply from their glasses.

"Right then! Follow me!" Fiona exclaimed as she rose from the table and crossed the apartment to a door that was tucked away in a back corner. "All right, this," she said as she pushed the door open, "is where the magic happens."

Hermione followed Fiona into the workshop. She couldn't decide where to look first. There were bookshelves stuffed with book after book on everything from muggle alcohol to herbology and botany. There we numerous potted plants and even a tree growing in the corner. One wall was covered in dark walnut cabinets that Hermione assumed contained the numerous ingredients that Fiona, and now she, would be using in her experiments. And in the center of the room was a work table with four cauldrons. Three were empty but one was bubbling and emitting a color changing vapor. Hermione looked at Fiona quizzically. "I don't have a name for it yet, but yes, that's the color changing potion I told you about."

"So you basically brew the potion and then mix it with the alcohol?" Hermione asked as she stepped closer to the potion to inspect it. It was an iridescent pearl colour and smelled like snow, presumably from the Yeti teeth.

Fiona nodded and moved closer to the work table. "So you are free to use anything in this room. There is a desk just there," Fiona pointed to a walnut coloured desk which matched the ingredient cabinets, "with plenty of quills and parchment for you to keep notes. And please, _please_ keep good notes. There's nothing worse than finally figuring out the correct ingredient ratio but not being able to remember it because you didn't write it down."

Hermione nodded seriously. "I used to colour code my Hogwarts study guides. Trust me, I can take good notes and I'm excellent at staying on task and organized."

"Wonderful! We'll work together well, then." Fiona smiled at Hermione. "Well, you're free to get started today if you would like to. Otherwise, just give me your address and I'll get our floos connected this evening and you can come by tomorrow to get started." She gestured to the work table. "I have these standard pewter cauldrons, as well as a store of some silver and gold ones for finicky ingredients. But it you have any preferences to your materials, feel free to bring your own or write up an order slip, and I'll grab it for you when I do an ingredient run. Order forms are also in the desk."

Hermione nodded and waited for Fiona to continue.

"Pay is every Thursday. I can deposit to Gringotts for you if you give me your vault number or I can just write up a pay slip for you to take to Gringotts yourself, whichever you prefer." Fiona put her hands on hips and glanced around the room. Looking satisfied, she faced Hermione. "All right, i think that about covers it. Any questions?"

"Do you have any ideas you haven't started researching yet? I can start on something like that first and once I get the hang of it then come up with my own idea?"

"Hmm," Fiona said, as she walked to the desk and started rummaging around the files there. "I've been thinking of a truth telling wine, something fun for a girls night type thing."

She moved a few more files around. "Um, I'm trying to come up with a drink that would calm the nerves of people who are on dates and need to relax a bit." She opened a drawer and grabbed out one more file. "And I'm toying with a voice changing potion, something fun for parties." She stacked the three files neatly and walked to Hermione, handing the stack of files to her.

Hermione took them and flipped through them.

"Anything interest you?" Fiona asked as she closed and locked the desk drawer.

"I'm intrigued by the truth telling wine, but I think it would be a more difficult recipe to master. How about I start out with the calming drink. I can think of a few ingredients that i want to work with." Hermione handed the other two folders back to Fiona and tucked the calming drink file under her arm and headed for the door.

Fiona followed Hermione out. "I feel like we should shake hands or something." Fiona said and extended her hand to Hermione.

Hermione chuckled and grasped Fiona's hand, shaking it in what she hoped was a professional manner, and grinned. "I'll stop by Obscurus Books on my way home and get some books to use for research and I'll be here tomorrow morning. What time?"

Fiona shrugged. "Oh, whenever. You're more than welcome to stay home and research if you would like to and only come here for the practical portions. You can always owl me your notes from that day. Otherwise just pop in around 10. That's usually when I get started."

"Ok great. And Fiona?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

Fiona nodded. "It's no problem. I'm overdue to bring someone on to help out."

Hermione thanked Fiona again and bid her farewell before going out the door and down the stairs. She thought about stopping into The Dragon's Nest since she was right there, but the thought of running into Malfoy sent her mind reeling. Instead, she turned and headed back to High Street. She grabbed a herbology book and a potions book from Obscurus Books before making her way home.

She had a pep in her step that she believed she had lost long ago. She admired, for the first time in what seemed to be forever, the color of the changing leaves. Halloween was upon them and Hermione had hardly even noticed. It was one of the few weekends that Rose stayed at school, as they held a masquerade dance and had a huge feast.

As expected, Ron didn't take the news of Hermione's career change well. They had a huge row that ended in him storming out and not returning until the next morning, when he simply went upstairs, changed into his work robes, and left again without a word to her. Hermione went to the bedroom to tidy up after he went to work and expected his robes from the night before to smell like a pub. When she wasn't hit with the scent of alcohol and tobacco her brow furrowed and she brought the robes up to her face and inhaled deeply.

Nothing. Not even the scent of her lavender scented laundry soap. It was almost as though Ron had scourgified himself before coming home, but she couldn't think why he would do that if he had just went out drinking and crashed with Blaise like he usually did after their big fights. She wasn't sure what it meant, but it was needling into the back of her mind. She pushed the thought aside and finished tidying up the bedroom before descending the stairs and heading to her office.

Hermione relished the work she was doing. It was like solving one huge logic puzzle. We want the drink to do one thing, but this ingredient causes this reaction, so we need to bypass it somehow. Her head was constantly swimming with ingredients and side effects and random potion ingredients. She was now owling not only Fiona, but also Neville about the herbology ingredients, and even Luna to get information on the more "obscure" magical creatures she could use in her concoctions.

She breezed through the three drink concepts Fiona had presented to her. Halloween passed, along with most of November. When the first Christmas tree went up in Hogsmeade as she was making another trip to the bookstore, she realized she had not done any Christmas shopping. She made a note to remind herself to talk to Ron about Rose's gifts, and to ask Ginny what the boys would like for Christmas.

She was reading a book that had been written about blast-ended skrewts. Apparently, a spectator from the TriWizard Tournament was quite intrigued by the cross-bred creature and had decided to do some in-depth research on them. Hermione was considering using some skrewt scales as an ingredient in her newest potion, but she needed to know more about what possible side effects there were first.

She was setting up in one of the booths by the window when she saw a shock of blonde hair pass by the window. She froze. There was only one person whom that hair could belong to and she hadn't seen him since that almost kiss at the pub.

The longer she avoided it, the more nerve wracking the possibility of seeing him became. She knew it was silly. He probably thought nothing of the incident. She wondered if he even noticed her absence in the pub.

She shrugged. It didn't matter, really. She was so busy with her research that she didn't even think about going to the pub most days. Still, it was hard to ignore the heat she felt when she remembered the way his hand had felt in hers that night. She shook her head and gathered her books,shoving them into her bag. She needed to talk to Ron about Christmas gifts.

Hermione made her way to the apparation point, each step causing a little more dread to build up. She hadn't mentioned Rose asking about having a sibling yet, but she knew she should before the holiday. he wasn't looking forward to it. The rejection of it alone was heartbreaking, but there was a small chance he would consider it, if he thought it would make Rose happy.

Ron was sitting on the couch watching tv when she came home. She walked right passed him to her office, where she put all of her research files and her new books onto her desk. She went upstairs to change into sweatpants before heading down to face him.

"Ron, can you turn the tv off? I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things involving Rosie."

Ron raised his eyebrows, but nodded and pointed his wand at the television and it clicked off.

Hermione sat gingerly on one of the armchairs by the fire place and took a deep breath.

"Well first," _and easiest,_ she thought, "we need to sort out Rose's Christmas gifts."

Ron nodded. "All right. Well, Quidditch supplies, obviously."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "I'm not quite sure what else she needs, so I'll let you take control of that portion of the shopping."

"I can do that. What else? Clothing? Books? You can get both of those things."

Hermione nodded. "She's pretty well past the toys stage, so I'm at a loss for much else to buy for her. A practice potions kit, do you think?"

Ron thought about it. "I think that would work. Tickets to one of those muggle shows you always take her to?"

"I'll have to see what's playing but yes, I think that would work." Hermione had pulled out a pad of paper from her bag and was jotting down the ideas they had discussed. "Would you want to come with us or would it just be her and I?"

"Just the two of you, I think. I'll get her Harpies tickets?"

Hermione wrote that down. "I'll have to look up their schedule for you but yes, that should work."

"I think that's enough presents for this year." Ron said, already turning back to the television, about to turn it on.

It would be so easy to just get up and walk away, allowing him to dismiss her. But she couldn't. She promised Rose she would talk to him about this and she had never broken a promise to her before.

She coughed. "Ron? There's something else. Rose, um. Rose wanted me to talk to you about something."

He put his wand down and turned to face her again. "Oh?"

"She asked me a while back why she doesn't have a sibling. She said she's lonely when she comes home, with no one to play with."

"Not this again, Mione!" Ron shook his head angrily. "Lonely?! She has James and Albus right up the road! She doesn't have to come home every weekend! She can go to a friend's house if she wishes to."

"Yes, but she asked me, and I promised her I would discuss it with you."

"Giving her false hope because you know _full well_ what my answer is!" Ron's face was now as red as his hair.

"This was always my fear, Ron. I spent so much time in my room when I was younger, wishing for a built in play mate. You don't understand how lonely life can be as an only child, Ron!"

"I'm not discussing this! You know what it would entail! We can't just fall into bed together and then nine months later have a baby. And what would people think, you working with alcohol as a living and being pregnant! Would it even be safe for you to be around half of those ingredients that you fiddle with if you were pregnant?"

"Of course it would be safe, Ronald! And if for some reason it wouldn't be, then I would allow Fiona to handle those ingredients and I would only do what my healer deemed safe, even if it was just researching throughout my pregnancy and then returning back to the practical applications once the baby was born."

Ron shook his head. "Merlin, you've actually thought this through! Get it through your head, Mione! It's not going to happen! We are NOT having another baby!. Ever!"

And with that Ron was off the couch and out the door before she even fully processed what had happened. She collapsed into tears. She didn't know what she expected. There had been a part of her that had hoped that if it was something Rose wanted, he would at least be open to the idea. But he had shot it down even more harshly than before.

Hermione pulled herself together and brewed a cup of tea. She watched a bit of television. She flipped through her herbology book, marking several pages she wanted to come back to when her head was more clear. Eventually, she found herself just watching the snow swirl outside her living room window. When night fell, she pulled herself upstairs and into the shower. Then she crawled into bed, with no sign of Ron at all.

The next weekend was December first and Hermione went out to do all of her Christmas shopping for Rose. She also found a new sneakoscope for Harry, a pretty emerald green robe set for Ginny, a toy wand for Albus and a quidditch book for James. She still had the whole Weasley clan to buy for, and of course, Ron. She supposed she should get a gift for Fiona, as well.

She spent the first week of December in full decoration mode. She hung stockings, put up the tree, and strung garland and lights throughout the cottage.

The first Thursday in December, Rose was having a Quidditch match with the Irish wizarding primary school, O'Flannigans. Hermione decided to stop by and watch the game. She hadn't seen Rose play competitively yet and she found that she was really looking forward to it.

She mentioned it to Ron but he just nodded and said nothing else. If he ended up going with her then so be it, but she wasn't going to beg him.

The match was a good one. Rose flew beautifully and she heard other parents complimenting her on how well she played. In the end, Rose's school caught the snitch and they won. Everyone was talking and laughing as they made their way from the pitch back into the school. They had to exit through the floo in the school's great hall. As Hermione descended the Quidditch stands, her heart sped up as she caught sight of a familiar head of white blonde hair in front of her.

Furiously, she pushed through several people, apologizing along the way until she was beside Malfoy. She grabbed him roughly by the arm.

"Ok, Malfoy. What gives! I stop going to the pub, so now you come to my daughter's school?!"

Malfoy looked at her in shock. "What? No, no, Hermione. You have it completely wrong!"

She crossed her arms. "So you mean to tell me it's a complete coincidence that you happen to be at my daughter's school, watching her quidditch match on the same day that I'm here?"

Malfoy laughed. "That's exactly what I'm telling you." he motioned for them to walk together, so she fell into step beside him.

"Well, Malfoy. I'm waiting for an explanation."

" I have a business contact here. The potions teacher has a little side project that he wants my company to invest in. We had a meeting this morning during his free period. He invited me to watch the game and I accepted. I had no idea your daughter even attended school here, let alone that she played quidditch."

Hermione thought about it. She didn't remember ever actually discussing Rose with him, other than in very brief passing. Was there a chance this was all some crazy coincidence?

When he saw that she was still eyeing him suspiciously, he shoved his hands in his pockets and said frustratingly, "Look, its not like I haven't wanted to see you, all right? But i'm not a stalker, Granger. If you were avoiding the pub, then that's your choice. Makes sitting alone at a bar without drinking alcohol a bit more uncomfortable for me with no one to talk to, but I've dealt with worse."

They were almost to the school now. She shook her head. "I'm not avoiding the pub."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not!" she raised her voice indignantly. "I got a new job and I've been quite busy. I work from home more often than not, actually, but it keeps me busy and by the time I'm finished I'm ready to just crash."

"Lots of time with the Weasel, then? Cozy evenings at home rekindling the romance?" Malfoy sneered as they finally reached the school and made their way to the floo in the Great Hall.

Hermione side eyed him. "Actually, no. He seems to be going out with Blaise after work more often than not now. We hardly see each other. Not that it's really your business, Malfoy."

Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. "Did you say Blaise? Blaise Zabini?"

Hermione turned to reply and noticed him standing in the middle of the corridor staring after her with a peculiar look on his face. She backtracked to him as the crowd swarmed around her. "Yes, Blaise Zabini. What of it? They meet for drinks after work regularly."

Without warning, Malfoy had grabbed her arm and hauled her into an empty classroom next to where they were standing. Hermione glared at him, looking quite harassed.

"What's the meaning of this, Malfoy!?" she shouted, shaking out of his grasp and trying to make for the door.

Draco stepped in front of her, blocking her way to the exit. "Hermione, there's no way Ron has been meeting with Blaise after work."

She crossed her arms and glared at him as he paced nervously in the empty classroom.

"What do you mean, there's no way? It's why I hardly ever see Ron. Either he's out with Blaise or he's at Harry's."

Draco was shaking his head and wringing his hands, looking pained.

"What's going, Malfoy?" she asked warily.

"Hermione, there's no way Blaise would ever willingly get together with Ron outside of work. He can't stand him. Ever since the incident last year where Blaise was almost killed at that bed and breakfast in Cainesbury because Ron was too busy sweet talking the front desk attendant to have Blaise's back."

Hermione felt her jaw fall open. "I don't- I mean… I never. He never… What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" Draco asked incredulously as he stopped pacing to stare at Hermione with eyes as stormy the skies of London.

Hermione shook her head slowly.

"He faced an inquiry at work, Granger. They had to go back and interview all parties present that day to get an accurate description of the events that took place. Of course, once I found out that Lavender Brown was the front desk attendant that Ron was chatting up, I knew it was all over. She defended him and said that it was all her fault, she made him stay and talk to her because she was terrified to have a criminal in her hotel."

It was after he finished explaining what he knew that he noticed the color had drained from Hermione's face. He crossed the room and gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Granger? Hermione? Are you ok?"

She slowly nodded her head. "Did you say Lavender Brown was the worker at the bed and breakfast?"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I still do not own Harry Potter

Sorry for the long wait! This chapter has been planned for a long time and it took a while for it to feel "right". I knew what I wanted to convey but nothing was coming out correctly. I finally forced myself to just push through and I'm pretty happy with the results. Let me know what you think!

Also, Chapter Ten is nearly finished. It will be a short one but I plan to post it within the next few days to make up for the long wait for this chapter.

* * *

Hermione was seeing red. She didn't remember rushing out of the classroom, leaving Malfoy calling after her. She didn't remember flooing out of the school and into the Ministry. She didn't remember taking the lift up to the Auror Department. Hermione wasn't completely aware of her actions until she stormed into her husband's office to find him sitting at his desk flipping through a case file.

She had the door locked, silenced, and the file out of his hands before he even looked up.

"Hermione! What-?" Rom stammered, a baffled look on his face.

Hermione held up her hand. "No. You do not speak. You sit. And listen."

"But-" he tried again.

"Say one more syllable and I will oppugno your ass so fast you won't be able to throw up a shield charm." She waved her wand to emphasize her statement.

Ron's eyes widened and Hermione saw a flash of fear in them as she stood over him.

 _Good,_ she thought.

"Did you, or did you not, face an inquiry at work last year?"

Ron let out a breath and visibly relaxed. His reaction told her that choosing to confront him about the inquiry first was the right move. He had just proven his guilt by looking so relieved. Obviously, he was expecting her to confront him about something else. But still, she pushed on with her line of questioning.

"Something about you were supposed to be Blaise's back up, but instead you were distracted and he was almost killed? They had a full investigation, you were almost fired, you were placed on a two week suspension. Without pay. Is _any_ of this ringing a bell up in that thick skull of yours?" Hermione took three deep breaths to calm herself.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Well, Ronald? You can speak now." She crossed her arms and stared down at him, still sitting frozen at his desk.

Ron fidgeted with an invisible thread on his robes for a moment before hesitantly looking up at Hermione. "I was still questioning the front desk attendant. Blaise was supposed to go upstairs and wait for me to join him."

He started picking at his nails, no longer meeting her eyes. "But, er, it was taking a bit longer than I expected to interview the front desk attendant. So as Blaise was waiting upstairs, the suspect exited his room. Blaise didn't have time to disillusion himself. The suspect imperiused Blaise and had him about to jump out the third story window when I got upstairs. I full-body-binded the suspect, removed the imperius from Blaise, and that was that."

"'That was that'? Blaise could have died. What on Earth was so important about that employee's statement that you kept Blaise waiting in that hallway for well over half an hour?"

Ron looked up towards Hermione, but his eyes were looking past her at a point on the wall. "She was afraid, you see. Bad divination session earlier in the week of the incident or something. She was convinced she was going to be injured or killed. I had to calm her down and convince her she was safe before she would even start telling me what I needed to know."

"So Lavender Brown saw the grim in her tea cup and you were too busy being a therapist to back up your partner?" Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed at shock on Ron's face. "Yes. I know who the front desk attendant was. Even though you have tried so hard to not say her name."

Ron paled. "What all do you know, Hermione?"

"Wow, just jumping right into this aren't you? How long have you wanted to tell me? Have you lost sleep over it? Were you getting tired of scourgifying your clothes and asking Harry to cover for you?" Hermione ran a hand roughly through her hair. It always grew frizzy and took on a life of its own when she was angry.

"Gods, I was so stupid!" Hermione shook her head, angry at Ron and angry at herself. Brightest witch of her age but she couldn't spot an unfaithful husband living under the same roof as her. Pathetic.

Ron just sat at the desk, nervously observing his wife pacing in front of his desk, glaring at him. Her hair framing her face like a lion's mane, there was no doubt she was seething mad. The hair plus the fact that her anger made the very air around her spark with magic made him slightly afraid to say anything for fear of angering her more.

"You're really just going to sit there and let me scream at you? You won't deny it?" She looked over at him and he put his head in his hands. She chuckled darkly. "Typical. So typical. Ok, so were you sleeping with her? Or were you just her shoulder to cry on when the crystal ball and tea leaves were unkind to her?"

The audacity of the entire situation was just making her more angry. Her voice rose as she continued. "You do realize you almost killed your partner because of a bad tea leaf reading? Do you understand how truly idiotic that is? You are a highly-trained Auror and you completely forgot all of your training because of some airheaded bimbo who was probably faking her 'terror' because she's been carrying a torch for you since Hogwarts!"

"That's enough!" Ron shouted and rose from his chair. His sheer height made her take an instinctive step back. She was so used to living with him that sometimes she forgot how much he towered over her.

"You can insult me all you want. You're right, Hermione. I fucked up, okay?! With my job and with lying to you. Call me a scum bag arsehole all you want but you will not insult Lavender! Do you hear me?" His voice boomed and echoed off the cluttered walls of his office.

The silence was deafening.

Hermione felt like she had been slapped. Tears stung at her eyes as she drew herself up as tall as she could and looked at her husband, waiting. Finally, _finally_ , he met her eyes. "I want you out, Ronald. I don't care how, I don't care where you will go. But I want you out."

Ron started to speak but she raised her wand just slightly. The sight of it made him think twice.

"Since I'm sure you never bothered to research marriage laws, I can inform you. There is an infidelity clause that states that the adulterer gets nothing. You are entitled to absolutely _nothing_."

The meaning of those words struck him and forced Ron back into his chair.

"Not the house, not the furniture. Not even our owl. You get what I decide I want to give you. And if I decide to give you nothing, then so be it."

Ron gulped and his Adam's Apple bobbed in his throat. "But what about Rosie?"

Hermione sighed. "Visitation will be discussed. I would never keep her from you. As for now, we act as though nothing has happened. She's already used to us basically avoiding each other. Get through the rest of the year. So, weekends plus Christmas break. I will encourage her to spend time with Ginny and see if she wants to visit with any other friends during her break so she isn't around us together any more than absolutely necessary."

Ron nodded. "So...when do we tell her?"

Hermione finally allowed herself to sink into the chair in front of Ron's desk. She felt thoroughly exhausted and worn down. She ran her fingers through her hair. Most of the frizz had dyed down along with Hermione temper and now her curls were hanging limply about her shoulders. Even her hair had given up.

"Second weekend in January. We will tell her together. You have until then to get your own place, Ron. If you want visitation with your daughter then you will not move in with Lavender."

"Yes, yes, of course. I wouldn't do that to her."

"Well," Hermione smiled sadly and rose out of the chair, heading to the door. "You did it to me. What am I supposed to think?"

And with that she unlocked the door, removed the silencing charm, and made her way home.

She was halfway home when she realized she was not prepared to go back there yet. She loved her cottage, but it was her marital home and she just wasn't prepared to go back there after what had occurred in Ron's office.

She didn't know Fiona well enough to vent to her about this. She couldn't go to The Dragon's Nest because she couldn't bear the thought of seeing Malfoy. After practically accusing him of stalking her and then being informed of her husband's infidelity by him of all people, facing him in her current state would be a nightmare. So she let her feet take her up the small hill to the white cottage of her best friend and his wife.

She had a bone to pick with Harry anyway about the inquiry at work. Surely he knew about it, yet he had never mentioned it to her. She knew Ginny was not the best person to vent to about Ron, but she was her only option. And dammit, she needed their support right now.

She felt the wards allow her entrance through the fence and she made her way to the red front door. She took a deep breath and contemplated turning around and leaving. She didn't have to do this. She could go home, hide under the cover and pretend none of this ever happened.

 _"No"_ she chastised herself. _"You have run from this long enough. The truth is out now, so face it like a true Gryffindor."_

With those thoughts still echoing in her head she knocked on the door. She heard footsteps and could hear Ginny talking to Albus as she fumbled with the door knob.

"Who could it be, Al? We aren't expecting anyone. Maybe it's Gramma. Or Luna." Ginny opened the door and saw Hermione. "Ooh look, Al! It's Auntie Hermione!" Albus smiled at Hermione and then ran back down the hallway to play.

Ginny pulled Hermione into the house. "Long time, no see, you! How are you? What brings you by at this time of day?"

"Hey, Gin. I just-I needed to talk to someone."

Ginny pulled back from Hermione and observed her sister-in-law. She saw how her eyes were red and slightly puffy. Her hair was loose and limp. There were bags under her eyes and it looked like a strong wind would blow her over. Ginny put her arm around Hermione and led her down the hall and into the living room.

"What is it, Mione? Is everything ok?" She gasped. "Gods, is Rose ok? She had a game today, didn't she? She didn't fall off her broom or anything, did she?" Ginny's voice grew higher and she looked slightly crazed.

Hermione shook her head. "No, no Gin. Nothing like that."

"Oh, good. Sorry, I've just seen so many Quidditch injuries with my job and with Harry. I got a little carried away." She looked away sheepishly.

"No, it's ok. I understand. It's- Well- I don't even know where to begin."

Ginny smiled slightly and rubbed Hermione's shoulder comfortingly. "Just start where it feels natural and we will go from there." Ginny patted Hermione's shoulder and rose from the couch. "But first, tea," and she breezed out of the room.

Hermione took the time Ginny spent in the kitchen to compose herself and get her thoughts in order. When Ginny came back into the room with two steaming mugs of tea, Hermione was ready to begin.

Ginny handed Hermione her mug and then took her seat on the couch and waited for Hermione to speak.

"So, to start at the beginning, I go to this pub. The Dragon's Nest in Hogsmeade. When Ron isn't home, I'll go there to drink and people-watch and just forget life for a little bit. Well, about six months ago, Draco Malfoy came into the pub."

Ginny raised her eyebrows but said nothing, just sipped her tea and waited.

"We started talking, and next thing I know, he starts to frequent the pub. He caught me at a really vulnerable moment a few months ago and I almost did something I shouldn't have. So I've been avoiding the pub, and therefore avoiding Malfoy, since then."

Hermione sipped her tea and fiddled with the cup, stirring the tea uselessly, searching for the words. "Well, today at Rose's game I ran into Malfoy. I freaked out, to be honest. I accused him of stalking me. Turns out he was there for a meeting with one of the professors about a side project."

Albus came wandering into the room and crawled into Ginny's lap.

Hermione smiled down at him and continued. "One thing led to another and we started talking. I mentioned how Ron has been spending a lot of time with Blaise. And Draco told me that Blaise hates Ron. Has for over a year. Apparently, there was an incident at work last year and Ron faced an inquiry over it."

Hermione watched Ginny's face and when she didn't react, Hermione again felt like she had been slapped.

"So you knew?" Hermione accused angrily. She kept her voice low to avoid upsetting Albus but still, the anger was obvious. "You knew about the inquiry and said nothing to me about it? Let me guess, you know all about Lavender too. Unbelievable." Hermione set her cup down and made to rise from the couch but Ginny reached out to stop her.

"I didn't say anything about the inquiry because I thought you knew. Really, Mione. Ron told me that you knew about it and you were really upset about it and that it was best to just not mention it."

Relief flooded through Hermione. So Ginny wasn't betraying her.

"Of course. Gods, Gin. I'm sorry. Of course you weren't trying to keep things from me."

Ginny scooted closer to Hermione. "What's this about Lavender? Lavender Brown? From Hogwarts?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. Her. I'm getting to that."

"All right. Just, can you put this on hold for one moment? It's Al's nap time and he's about to pass out on me. If I let him fall asleep out here he'll never agree to go to sleep in his bed again."

Hermione smiled and remembered those days. "Yes, of course Gin. Do what you need to. I know I'm probably interrupting your whole day."

Ginny stood slowly from the couch, steadied Albus on his feet, and led him from the room.

"Oh yes," she called over her shoulder. "If you mean putting him down for a nap and then getting embarrassingly wrapped up in Muggle daytime stories, then yes, you are definitely upsetting my whole day!"

Hermione grinned and shook her head. It was just like Ginny to get absorbed into trashy Muggle soaps.

As she waited for Ginny, Hermione cast a warming spell on her tea, which had gone cold on her. She sipped from the freshly reheated mug and felt herself relax. Being here, talking to Ginny, she could almost pretend that her life hadn't just totally fallen apart.

A few minutes passed and then Ginny came back into the room with a plate of sandwiches and a kettle for more tea.

Hermione felt her stomach growl. "Bless you, Ginny. I didn't even realize how hungry I was." Hermione reached for a sandwich and bit into it, savoring the first bite of food she'd had since her breakfast tea that morning.

The lapsed into silence as they ate their sandwiches. After finishing and setting her plate aside, Ginny looked expectantly at Hermione.

"I know you well enough to know the inquiry alone doesn't have you this upset."

Hermione hesitated. This was Ron's sister. Did she really want to put her in the middle of this? She could back out, claim that the inquiry was the only thing and apologize for overreacting. But Hermione was bursting at the seems to talk to someone about it so, instead, she took a deep breath.

"Ron's been cheating on me."

Ginny choked on her tea. "Excuse me, what?!"

"He admitted it. I confronted him about the inquiry and it all came spilling out."

"Wait. Start at the beginning. What does the inquiry have to do with him cheating on you?"

Hermione rubbed her temples. "How much do you know about the inquiry? Do you know why he had it?"

Slowly, Ginny nodded. "Something about he took too long interviewing a witness and Blaise was put in danger."

"Well," Hermione began, eyeing Ginny carefully, "that witness was Lavender Brown."

Ginny's eyes grew wide. "From Hogwarts?! Ron never mentioned her!" Realization dawned on her. "No! He's surely not cheating with her!"

Hermione nodded. "He admitted to it. They reconnected the day of the incident and apparently stayed in contact. I don't have the whole story. But he has been using Blaise as a cover, as well as you and Harry."

"What do you mean he's using me and Harry as a cover? When I get my hands on him…" Ginny's hands flexed reflexively.

Hermione reached for her tea and reheated it, taking a careful sip. "To be honest, I'm kind of numb to it. I felt so angry but now… I just... I don't know. I want to protect Rose. If I let myself get consumed by anger and hatred then it will affect her."

The redhead nodded. "I get that. It's a mother's instinct to hold themselves together." She hesitated. "Don't hate me for saying this, but do you kind of think it's for the best?"

"Excuse me," Hermione said, more harshly than she meant to.

"Well, it's just… you and Ron have been over for a while. Everyone could see it. But you stayed together, for whatever reason. For Rose or because it was easiest, whatever. But you both weren't doing yourselves any favors by staying with someone you didn't love anymore."

Hermione sighed. "No, we weren't happy. We've lived more as roommates for the past few years. Still, it doesn't give him the right to turn to someone else and hide it from me."

"Oh no!" Ginny protested, shaking her head, "I'm not saying what he did was right. I'm just saying. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise."

Hermione nodded slightly. They sat in silence for a few more moments, sipping their tea, each of them processing the day's events.

Finally Ginny spoke again. "What are you going to do about Rose?" she asked gently.

"Ronald and I talked about it. After I blew up on him I calmed down enough to come up with a plan. We will put on a good solid front for Christmas through the end of the year. Second week of January we will sit her down and talk to her. Wizarding law states I get everything. So Rose and I will stay at the cottage. As long as Ron doesn't move in with Lavender, I really don't care where he goes."

"Do you think you guys can do that? Keep it together until after the holidays?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know, Ginny. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Hermione stayed at Ginny's for a few more minutes. She told Ginny it was all right for her to tell Harry. She knew regardless that Harry would find out. Ginny wasn't good at keeping secrets from him. They made plans to have dinner in a few days and then Hermione grabbed her things and left, stopping in to kiss a still sleeping Albus before she departed.

She couldn't avoid her cottage any longer.

She followed the cobblestoned streets down the hill and to the outskirts of town. Thanks to the previous owners of her cottage, who were avid herbologists, the flowers were still in full bloom even in the cold December air.

Hermione entered her marital home and took in the stillness of the air. Ron hadn't come home to grab any belongings. She was sure if she were to go upstairs and check his drawers she would realize that there were less clothes than there should be.

She was sure, in fact, if she searched through most of his belongings she would find items missing. She knew he probably had a stash of things at Lavender's for all the nights when an argument caused Ron to walk out and not return until morning. Hermione had always assumed he had gone to the Burrow or to one of his sibling's houses. Now, though, she realized that he had somewhere better he would rather be.

As Hermione removed her traveling cloak and levitated it to a coat hook and kicked her shoes off, she allowed the silence of the cottage wash over her. Soon enough the silence would be her new normal. And in the stillness of the cottage, still standing at the threshold that Ron had carried her over a decade ago, Hermione slid her back down the door to the floor and finally, she let herself cry.

After crying herself until her tears were no more, Hermione stood and brushed herself off. It was about dinner time but she wasn't hungry. Instead she climbed the stairs and headed into the bedroom her and Ron had shared for so many years.

First, she changed into comfortable clothes. Then she crossed the room to his set of drawers and started piling his clothes on the floor. When she had finished emptying the dresser, she transfigured the drawers into boxes and put his belongings inside of them. Sure enough, she realized that about a quarter of his clothing was missing.

She padded into the bathroom to pack up his toiletries and found that his shaving cream was gone, as well as his body wash. He had a different toothbrush than the one she had purchased for him, so she assumed he had the other one at Lavender's. She gathered up his things and threw them into the box with his clothing. She levitated the box down the stairs and set it by the front door. Next, she grabbed his broom and quidditch gear from the closet and set it by the box.

She continued that way, wandering the house and picking up random bits of Ron's belongings, until she was sure she had most everything he would want. When she was finished, she stood in the entryway and observed the box, overflowing with bits of a man whom she had given most of her adult life to.

She couldn't take it anymore. Hermione turned her back on the box and strode out of the cottage and without a second thought, apparated to The Dragon's Nest.

It wasn't until landing on the street in front of the pub that she realized she wasn't wearing a coat. Her hair was a complete mess, she was in sweatpants and a threadbare muggle t shirt she'd had since she was teenager that fit her extremely snugly. Any other time she would apparate straight back home, but on this occasion not a single fuck was given.

She pushed open the familiar oak door and felt like she was coming home. The pub was warm, both in temperature and atmosphere. Fiona was behind the bar and other than a quirked eyebrow said nothing as Hermione all but collapsed onto the bar stool.

"I'm just not going to ask." Fiona said soberly. "You look like you could use a drink." Hermione watched as Fiona grabbed a bottle of Fire and Ice Whiskey and poured her a glass.

"Or ten." Hermione said as she downed the drink in one gulp. The whiskey was cool going down thanks to Fiona's special formula but the taste still made her wince. She pushed the glass back to Fiona. "Another please." She thought about it. "Or just bring the bottle. Would save you a lot of back and forth trips."

"Are you sure, Hermione? I mean, you're a grown woman and all, but in all the time you've been coming here I've never seen you have more than one glass an hour."

"Look, Fiona. I love you and all. But in this one instance I urge you to please, _please_ fuck off. In the nicest way possible."

Fiona observed Hermione for a few seconds before giving her a short nod and walking away. She returned and placed the bottle of whiskey in front of her.

For the next hour, Hermione got well and truly sloshed.

"Fiona!" she shouted, reaching across the bar and grabbing Fiona's hand. "Have I ever told you that I think you are just amazing? I do. Just so smart. And… and… in-de-PEN-dent!" She reached to touch the French woman's hair. "And such pretty hair!"

Fiona watched Hermione with amused yet concerned eyes. She grabbed Hermione's hands. "Yes, Cheri. You've told me about six times tonight."

Hermione looked puzzled. "I have? Oh…" she pulled her hands from Fiona so forcefully she stumbled back and almost fell from the barstool. "Well, it's true. And your accent. So much better than Fleur's accent. She always talked like she smelled something bad." Hermione covered her mouth and giggled.

Fiona's eyes drifted over to the door briefly and Hermione followed her gaze. "Malfoy!" Hermione rose from her stool and nearly hit the floor. She gripped the bartop and steadied herself before stumbling over to him and throwing her arms around his shoulders.

Malfoy stood there, stunned, and looked at Fiona who shrugged and held up the empty whiskey bottle. Draco nodded in understanding as he awkwardly patted Hermione's back.

"I owe you Draco," she slurred into his coat. "You saw what I couldn't see. And now I see. And now it's better. Well, it's not. But it will be. So thank you." she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the bar.

"Fiona!" Hermione shouted. Fiona, who was standing right in front on the pair, winced and turned to Hermione.

"Cheri, I'm right here. No need to yell."

"I'm not yelling!" Hermione said loudly. "Who's yelling? Not me! Shhhhh."

Fiona just shook her head, which Hermione found extremely funny. She fell into a fit of giggles again, slumping into Malfoy, who shifted awkwardly to support the sudden weight.

Once she stopped giggling, she slammed her hand onto the bar. "Fiona! Bring Malfoy a drink! If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here tonight!"

She turned to Draco. "Drink, drink!" she shouted at him. "You saved my life today. Telling me the things you told me. Oh and I'm sorry for saying you were stalking me. That was dumb. Sooooo dumb!"

Draco raised a hand to Fiona and shook his head before placing his hands on Hermione's shoulders. "Hermione? Come on," he put an arm around her. "You've had enough. Let's get you home."

"Home? I don't want to go home. Nothing for me there. I want to stay right here." She leaned back against the stool and nearly knocked it over.

"Hermione? It's almost closing time. " Draco bluffed, meeting Fiona's eye.

Fiona nodded and reached for Hermione's arm. "Yes, Hermione. Time for you to get home now. Where do you live? We'll make sure you get home safely."

Hermione crossed her arms and glared at them. "Not going home. Closing time. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here! It's in a song so it has to be true. I don't have to go home! I'll just go" she rose from the stool and stumbled before steadying herself, "...somewhere," she threw her bag over her shoulder, "...else." She drew her wand and started to wave it to apparate before Draco grabbed her hand to stop her.

"No! Hermione! You can't apparate in this condition! Come on. You don't have to go home. It's ok," he put his arm around her and led her to the door. "That's right. You can come to my place. It's ok. Come on now." And Draco led her out of the pub and down the streets of Hogsmeade until they arrived at his townhouse.

Hermione let out an undignified snort. "You live here? Where's the green and silver? Where's the snake motif?" she asked as she crossed the threshold. She stood in the entry way and did a clumsy little spin. "It's...cozy, somehow."

It was true. It was all warm colors and plush materials. The walls were painted a soft grey. The couch was yellow and looked like you would just sink right in. To the left were the stairs.

Hermione ignored them and stumbled instead into the kitchen. She burst out laughing.

"You have a muggle kitchen! Draco "Death Eater" Malfoy has a muggle kitchen. Gods, who would have thought."

Draco stood silently in the doorway, observing Hermione as she stumbled through the kitchen, opening cabinets and even lighting the stove. At that point he intervened, stepping between her and the stove before she hurt herself.

"It works! You have a working muggle stove!" she was crying now from laughing so hard. She wiped at her eyes. "Never thought I would see the day," she said as she drifted from the kitchen to the stairs, which she proceeded to awkwardly climb, Draco following behind her.

She reached the top of the stairs and saw a set of French doors. She ran towards them and threw them open. "This must be your room!" she entered the master bedroom and immediately ran and jumped on the bed.

Well, she _thought_ she was running.

From Draco's perspective, she more stumble tripped her way to the bed. Draco eyed her warily as she threw herself back and sank into the plush comforter. "I could stay here forever!" she closed her eyes.

He thought she had passed out before she suddenly jumped back up. "But I can't! More to explore! More to see! More to do!" she ran to a door opposite the bed. "What's in here?" she asked loudly, yanking the door open and letting out a squeal. "Master bathroom! Ooh, a tub!"

And that was how Hermione Granger ended up fully clothed, submerged in Draco Malfoy's bathtub.

Draco wasn't sure what to do. He knew he should owl Harry, but he got the impression that she just needed to let off some steam so he left her alone.

Draco transfigured a chair and sat, observing her as she grabbed her beaded bag from the floor next to the tub and pulled out a wine bottle and a glass. He made to reach for it to take it from her but she glared at him and yanked it out of reach. "If you take this wine bottle from my hands so help me, Malfoy. I happen to be skilled in wandless magic and even drunk I will make you regret ever doing so."

So he sat back in his chair and watched as she clumsily poured herself a glass of wine, getting more into the tub than into the glass before she shrugged, threw the glass over the side of the tub, and drank straight from the bottle.

She laid her head back and closed her eyes. Again, Draco thought she was asleep. He stood to retrieve a quill and some parchment so he could owl Harry but he heard her suddenly start to speak.

"Would be your house I end up drunk in. Fitting that it has to be the gorgeous guy from Hogwarts that tells me my husband's a cheater and then now I'm in your bathtub."

Draco stilled at the word gorgeous. He didn't know what to say but sat back down, afraid she would try to hex him if she figured out he was about to owl someone to come get her.

"I never thought he was good enough for me, you know? Ron? Too dumb. Too dull. But I got pregnant so I stayed."

Hermione's eyes were still closed and she was talking in such a calm voice, it was like she wasn't even drunk anymore.

"I was ok being stuck with him, too, until you came along. You and your silver eyes and sexy hair and mysteriousness. I should have just kissed you that day. I've thought about it so many times since then. Dreamed of it too. If I had known then what I know now, I never would have run from you."

Draco crossed the room and knelt by the tub. "Hermione? You ok?"

She reached out a wet arm and gripped his hand and pulled him to her, resting her hands on the sides of his neck. "Mmm, you smell nice. Just like I dreamed. Like wood smoke and citrus. Don't know where the citrus is from, though."

Draco pulled back a bit. "Hermione. You're drunk. You don't know what you're doing right now," he said softly, prying her hands from his shoulders but she just held tighter and wrapped her arms around his shoulders now, pulling him down to her.

"I do, though. I'm doing what I've wanted to do for months." she tilted her head up and kissed him. She tasted of whiskey and something fruity he couldn't identify. Her lips were soft and she pulled him closer to her, moaning slightly as she coaxed his mouth open and slipped her tongue inside.

He was returning the kiss before he knew what he was doing. She felt so good and tasted so good and it wasn't until he remembered how drunk she was that he pulled away.

She looked at him with disappointment in her eyes.

"I want to do that again. You taste just like I thought you would. Don't you want me, Draco? I see the way you watch me. I know you've thought about it."

He looked into her eyes and the burning heat behind the chocolate brown nearly made him lose his willpower. He leaned in to kiss her again but fortunately came to his senses.

One kiss was bad enough when she was in the state she was in. But two? Two would be unforgivable. He pulled back and rested on his heels. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm the lust that was building inside him. He heard a splash and his eyes flew open.

As Draco was pulling himself together, Hermione had finished falling apart. She had passed out and sunk beneath the water. At the sight of her submerged form, he sprang into action. Draco vanished the water from the tub, dried her with a spell, and levitated her to his bed.

He then returned to his bathroom to take a cold shower, carefully avoiding the pieces of glass scattered across the floor. After he had calmed his raging hormones, he changed into his pajamas and set about cleaning up the mess she had made with the broken wine glass. He repaired the glass and picked up the bottle of wine, flipping it over to read the unfamiliar label.

 _Veritas Wine_

 _The all new formula from Dragon's Nest Distillery_

That explained the way she had acted after drinking the wine. The fact that everything she had said was the truth made him close his eyes to calm himself. She had said she thought about kissing him. About how he would smell. How he would taste. He could feel himself harden in his silk pajama bottoms at the thought.

Shaking his head, he finished tidying his bathroom. He felt exhausted from the events of the day and as he walked into his room to prepare to turn in for the evening he faced the dilemma of where to sleep. He supposed he could sleep on the sofa for the evening but that meant leaving her alone in his room and he didn't know how she would react when she woke. Then again, she may want privacy when she woke. He settled on shrinking the sofa from the sun room at the back of the townhouse that he rarely used and levitating it to his bedroom, where he returned it to the normal size and set it awkwardly in the corner of the room. It definitely looked out of place, but it would do for tonight.

He looked at Hermione passed out in his bed and ran a hand down his face. Draco never would have thought his day would take this kind of turn. What should have been a simple business meeting turned into being accused of stalking Hermione Granger, accidentally revealing her husband's apparent infidelity, getting an owl from the barkeep at The Dragon's Nest to come assist a very drunk Hermione, and now ending with her passed out in his bed.

He didn't know what the morning would hold. Would she wake in the middle of the night and apparate home? Would she make light of the situation and laugh it all off? And more importantly, would she remember that kiss?

Draco rolled over and closed his eyes, falling into a restless sleep, still with the taste of her on his lips.


End file.
